Review: Holly Street, Fringe 2025

There are moments at the Fringe when you stumble into a show with few expectations and walk out having discovered a gem. Holly Street, from the young and talented Longface Theatre, is one such moment.

This is a superb example of the creative magic that makes the festival essential, delivering a play that is far more than the sum of its parts.

Staged in the cool, comfortable confines of The Space on the Mile’s Radisson Blu venue, the scene is set. We are flies on the wall in a writers’ room, observing the fraught creation of the 35th-anniversary special for a much-beloved (and fictional) soap opera, ‘Holly Street’. With their phones confiscated and the door locked by a pompous boss spouting corporate drivel, four writers are left to battle the blank page, and each other.

A Meta-Mystery

Initially, the premise seems straightforward. We meet the archetypes: the effortlessly cool writer in shades, the overly casual one in Crocs, the superfan with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the show’s history, and another who seems to oscillate between idiocy and genius. The initial drama feels familiar, as the pressure-cooker environment forces personal truths to the surface.

However, Holly Street has more ambitious plans. The play cleverly sets up a mystery for the audience to solve, one that exists just beneath the surface of the writers’ squabbles. While the in-character distractions occasionally pull focus from this central puzzle, the script is building towards something far stranger and more profound than a simple workplace drama. For this reviewer, going in with no prior knowledge of the plot’s direction was a blessing, allowing each twist to land with maximum impact.

A (Nearly) Flawless Ensemble

A play that relies so heavily on shifting dynamics and building suspense needs an immaculate cast to maintain immersion, and Longface Theatre delivers completely. There isn’t a single weak link in this five-person ensemble. The chemistry between the four writers is palpable, making their conflicts, collaborations, and eventual unravelling utterly believable. It’s even better with the boss.

The performances are wonderfully physical, with the actors transforming their characters through subtle shifts in expression, posture, and voice. There’s even well-executed singing and dancing woven into the narrative. It’s a testament to the cast’s skill that they can navigate the script’s sharp turns from comedy to high drama, and then into the truly unexpected, without ever shattering the world they have so carefully constructed. The day ends with their clothes in ruins, shocking secrets revealed, and perhaps, the world itself changed forever.

Only nearly flawless? Well, yeah, volume could be better at times, I did want more meta mystery, and I didn’t quite get all the (presumed) nuances of the final scene.

Overall

Holly Street is pure, humble, and deeply effective Fringe theatre. It’s a smartly written play performed by a wonderfully cohesive cast who are clearly invested in their craft. It has twists you won’t see coming and stands as a strong candidate for one of my favourite plays of the season. This is a show for anyone who appreciates sharp writing, strong character work, and a mystery that keeps you guessing. Give Holly Street a shot; I think you’ll be very glad you did.