The Pure, the Dead and the Brilliant @ The Assembly Rooms

The Edinburgh Fringe 2014 is no stranger to the topic of the Scottish Referendum. The line-up for the festival this year is full of plays immersed in the question of Independence, and this show is no exception.

Creatively crafted so that the creatures of Scottish folklore become implicated in the vote for Scottish Independence, the play humours the arguments of each political party. Each ludicrous tactic of the opposing political parties is given the ridicule that they quite deserve. Engaging the audience completely, the pleasantly thick Scottish accents of the bogel, the banshee, the selkie and the demon bring a magical originality to the fiery discussion on the future of Scotland.

Yet the play is funded by those 'who simply want to see a better Scotland.' In other words, the sponsors are those who will be voting ‘Yes’ on 18 September; meaning the discussion between the mystic creatures lies in the favour of an Independent Scotland. For those that strongly oppose this opinion, it would be best advised to avoid the show.

It is a beautiful vision, worthy of the ancient Scottish folklore that it contains, fashioned enchantingly by the combined efforts of Alan Bisset and Sacha Kyle. Though entertaining beyond a doubt, it would have been remarkably improved with a little less peppered propaganda. The intensity of its taste overpowers the flavour of the play just a tad too much.