Almost 10 ***

I've got quite a lot of good things to say about this show. It's funny and it's well acted and it certainly lives up to the description in the listing.

I was hesitant to go even although it was free, as I found out straight away it was a monologue! (If you want to know about my previous experiences on one-person-plays, check out my review of "All Dressed Up To Go Dreaming" from last year).

But I gave it a go and was rewarded with some very funny lines from a talented actress. (A couple of fluffed lines should be forgiven in previews - there were a couple in there, but they were well covered and didn't distract from the show so I'm not letting it cloud my judgement).

I still don't have an overly high opinion of one person plays - I think all plays benefit from charachter interaction and I woud like to see Caroline Horton as part of a cast in a similarly themed comedy because she was good.

The play itself tries to be quite risque and there are some very close to the bone lines. The lines are funny because they are the sort of things that children say that cause embarassment, because they don't know any better - and many of them did work, but there really is no need for Jamie Bulger jokes - and it wasn't just one of that ilk... there were a few. Let Frankie Boyle tell them - don't incorporate them into a play like this.

You could even tell that Horton was uncomfortable telling that one in charachter.... and I'm glad to find out it wasn't her that wrote the play herself.

However, the central idea was a good one. A confessional of a nine year old told by a young adult actress. I've seem plays similar to this in the past and it can be - and was in this instance - a great way to deliver some funny lines. Despite my objections, there were a lot of funny lines.

So to sum up - fan of the actress, fan of the concept of the play (adults playing children and saying words that come out of their mouths), fan of the script with a few jokes aside and still not a fan of monologues in general...

A good 3/5 bordering on 4

Almost 10 is at the Pleasance Below at 12.55 daily.

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=14984

http://tangramtheatre.co.uk/shows/almost-ten