ROLEPLAY @ Summerhall

Sold out ahead of its opening night, ROLEPLAY is a highly anticipated arrival at this year’s Fringe before its transfer to London’s Soho Theatre in October. Hailing from co-producers Francesca Moody Productions and Global Creatures and written and performed by Hannah Reilly, nestled in Summerhall’s TechCube 0 – ROLEPLAY has big boots to fill as it explores broke Aussie podcaster Danni and her ‘shot’ at stardom.

In the same vein as Sabrina Carpenter’s Man's Best Friend album cover, ROLEPLAY explores the quasi-empowerment of women on their knees, and all the conversations that bleed from it. Danni chases the promise of a multi-million-dollar contract to launch her career into the ear canals of women worldwide as she pursues a hyper-sexual persona hellbent on embracing her sexuality no matter the personal cost.

ROLEPLAY examines the fleeting power of desire and attention, owning one’s sexuality while still being caught at the end of the patriarchy’s leash, framed against intergenerational disapproval and weariness over ground already trod. Danni’s story explores the line between content, brand and personhood, the commercialisation of self in an age of thumbs on phone screens and the men ultimately yanking purse strings as feminism limps onwards into the digital age.

ROLEPLAY pairs impressive lighting design (Prema Mehta) and slick direction (Paige Rattray), backed with budget and pizzazz. Where ROLEPLAY stumbles slightly is in the storytelling – a few leaps in the narrative don't quite land and require a slight suspension of disbelief. The twist is vaguely predictable and while witty and engaging, fails to break new ground. The humour and pacing are classically Francesca Moody – trailing in the footsteps of 2024's Weather Girl – and while ROLEPLAY is sharp, slick and impressive, it falls just short of delivering a five-star punch.

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ROLEPLAY, Summerhall (TechCube 0), until 31 August (not 11, 18, 25), 5.50pm, returns only