Matthew Sharp in... Finkelstein's Castle

The stone-walled chill of Pleasance Two is the perfect venue for this magical Gothic pastiche. Blending surreal humour with tone poems wrought from a gorgeous burnished cello, Matthew Sharp successfully evokes a haunting atmosphere akin to the Victorian tales he is parodying – The Woman in Black and Hound of the Baskervilles spring to mind.

As an actor, he is entertaining to watch. As a musician, he is extraordinary. An accomplished cellist and bass-baritone who has studied under some of the finest names in classical music, Sharp’s talent is a joy to behold. The story, whilst an enjoyable romp, is relegated to a level of secondary importance because Sharp is just so ludicrously good. He sings, and deserves a standing ovation; he plays cello, and the audience is spellbound; he performs, and this reviewer throws away her big red pen.

Elsewhere, it is a neat production. Sound and lighting entwine smoothly to create the pall of icy seas and remote Scottish castles. In his own words, Sharp could have easily had a meltdown with his ambitious workload: he multi-tasks as narrator, providing the voice of action, description, character and thought. This is very much a one-man show, yet Sharp manages to envelope the whole of the venue until the intimacy itself is a symphonic rush.

Storytelling-with-cello is a truly pioneering format which has the potential to branch out into other instruments (brass players may be hindered). Often silly but more often beautiful, it inspired this part-time cellist to go and practise her scales and arpeggios.