Philotus

Edinburgh is a city replete with history. Each cobbled street is steeped in the past. But for one month of the year the city is buried under an avalanche of modern culture: when the Fringe comes to town the most Scottish things you're likely to see are the kilts worn by enthusiastic tourists.

So if you're looking for a genuine slice of Scottish history, head to Zoo Southside on Nicolson Street and see Philotus, a Scottish farce from days of yore. This bawdy comedy has lain untouched for four centuries, but now a brave troupe of performers have brought it bang up to date in a full Fringe run. An old man's lust for a young girl provides the dramatic core of the play, and David Nolan is delightfully sleazy as the wizened Philotus.

Instead of Shakespeare's nuanced characterisations, Philotus is reminiscent of the Commedia delle'Arte, the masked comedies that began in Italy: here it's exaggerated caricatures that provoke laughter. The Scottish metered verse is a rare treat, and, due to the talented cast, the narrative is never lost in the language.

There are inevitable problems in trying to modernise a script like this – a lack of back-and-forth dialogue being the most glaring in this particular production. A longer backstage curtain would also have helped – it's a distracting anachronism to see the players walking in from the strip-lit corridor.

Nonetheless, Philotus is engaging throughout. An amusing slice of resurrected Scottish history.