12/08/25

Gilded Balloon at Patterhouse (Dram), Edinburgh

I have to hand it to Molly McFadden. Recently diagnosed with ‘mild cognitive impairment,’ she could be excused for deciding to take things easy and put her feet up. Instead she’s opted to bring a show to the Edinburgh Fringe, a daunting ambition for the average teenage drama student, let along for a woman in her seventies. The fact that she recently discovered that she has the gene for Alzheimer’s must feel like a potential threat and was perhaps the spur she needed to bring her show to the Fringe.

Living On the Moon, directed by Michael Glavan, is mostly about Alzheimer’s (a recurring theme this year) and is based around McFadden’s recollections of her own mum, who spent the last twelve years of her life stricken by the condition. Those who’ve managed to catch Lost Lear at The Traverse, will have seen the subject captured and portrayed to harrowing effect, but McFadden’s approach is more gentle than that. In her one-woman show, McFadden’s mother, ‘Memory’, is a skilfully-made puppet: a carefree, occasionally irascible mother-figure given to interrupting her daughter’s torch songs with unfettered recollections of earlier times when she was clearly ‘a bit of a one.’

The tone here is whimsical, suffused by a bitter-sweet sense of loss, and McFadden’s former career as a cabaret singer comes to the fore. She has an impressive vocal range and delivers the songs with absolute authority. ‘Memory’ is a delightful creation, full of character and mischief.

I do however sense that in places, McFadden is pulling her punches a little, shying away from the full horror of the situation. Perhaps she needs more time to process what has happened before she can fully explore its depths. Nevertheless, she delivers an absorbing hour on the stage.

Those who prefer a soft approach to this most distressing of subjects will find McFadden (and Memory) at the Gilded Balloon, Patterhouse.

3.6 stars

Philip Caveney