Simpson, Skinner and socialists

For recovering teetotallers, like me, Thinking Drinkers is the perfect Edinburgh show. On stage, two sprucely dressed actors perform sketches about booze while a team of well-trained ushers race around plying the audience with strong liquor from plastic beakers. In under an hour, I swallowed a can of ale chased by vodka, gin, rum and Irish whiskey. It’s a decent show but, for obvious reasons, forgettable.

Nina’s Got News is the first fringe play written by Frank Skinner. Nina has split up with her besotted boyfriend, Chris. When he answers a summons to her flat he’s hoping for a valedictory romp. But Nina has asked her best pal Vanessa over and the three chums engage in amusing wordplay as they try to place their friendship on a new footing. Then a shock announcement. Nina has started to levitate. In recent weeks, she claims, she has spontaneously rocketed ceiling-wards on several occasions. Vanessa wants to see Nina’s gravity-defying skills in action and she ushers the human weather-balloon next door. Chris stays put, hoping to sneak a look at Nina’s diary. Vanessa re-enters and declares that Nina has indeed performed a feat of indoor aviation. Then comes another shock. A second character claims to be in possession of magical powers. And at this point the drama collapses into irrelevance and trickles away into a useless deadend. What a pity. Skinner’s characters are smart, likeable types and his dialogue never fails to sparkle. Yet the play feels like homework dashed off against the clock. With more discipline and industry Skinner could be the new Alan Bennett.