Dark Matter @ Summerhall

If you were strolling through Leith later in the evening, winding down from a hectic day of Fringe activities in the city centre, you may have spotted an excitable pack of individuals crossing the road together dressed in matching black ponchos. They weren’t particularly weather-cautious tourists or an unimaginatively dressed hen party. They were simply on their way to one of Summerhall’s unique Fringe experiences.

Taking place in one generous stranger’s back garden, Dark Matter is a poetic and intimate piece that’s less about narrative and more about atmosphere. As you take your seat, the garden fills with smoke illuminated by various coloured lights, and a woman (Emma Anderson) wistfully emerges through the haze, her voice echoing ghost-like in your ears thanks to the specially provided headphones. She reflects nostalgically on her parents and the meaning of love as she falls head over heels for an unseen man who is not as he first seems.

The basic plot of this 40 minute piece isn’t especially important, nor is it particularly unique or interesting, but that’s not the point. The unnamed woman is ruled by her emotions, giving herself wholeheartedly to them as she tumbles into a state of obsession. The small audience becomes caught up in her descent, hearing every echoed whisper and pained scream until the viewing becomes almost disturbing. The shivers down the back of your neck aren’t just from the cold night air.

It’s impossible to make the outdoors experience entirely intimate – the castle fireworks and some passing police cars inevitably disturbed the piece – but overall, Dark Matter, while not the strongest written piece, is a gripping and hypnotic site-specific event, the likes of which the Fringe revels in.