REVIEW: Anatomy of a Night, EdFringe 2025 ★★★★

You know those nights where you go out, let your hair down, lose yourself to the music, and dance until dawn? This is one of those nights.

LED lights adorn all areas of the stage, and in the centre of it is Nick Nikolaou, dancing like everyone and no-one is watching. As they switch from outfit to outfit, we see as they move through a night of frenetic, fabulous, feverish energy. With intense movement throughout, this will be a night to remember. 

The visuals of this piece are nothing short of astounding. Kevin Murphy’s lighting design is like nothing you’ve ever seen before, all played in glorious time with the music and action onstage. We’re not just talking a bit of strobe, there’s LED strips on the floor, lasers in the sky, there’s even a bog-standard torch being used in the most striking way. 

Nikolaou rises to the challenge that the tech in this show demands. Their body is charged with electricity and tenderness, drawing us in with every shake, shimmy and shoulder. The breadth of their talent knows no bounds, and they exude confidence as they tear up the dancefloor. 

Confident, too, is the sound design by Rory Sweeney. There’s tracks we recognise, interspersed throughout head-thrashing, jumping beats, and gentler pieces that shape the story really well. When 10cc’s I’m Not in Love started to play, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 

As Nikolaou takes a seat near the conclusion of the show (very well deserved, it looked exhausting), they take us through some memories of the night we’re witnessing onstage. It is a shame we only have this intimate moment once in the story, as it would have been worthwhile sprinkling these spoken-word interludes throughout. 

Anatomy of a Night is also crying out for some audience participation. For a show that stresses the importance of connection, and of community, it yearns to include its audience, who are so clearly desperate to share in the beautiful chaos. The Edinburgh Fringe is the perfect place to grasp that opportunity, surely. 

It is quite unlike anything I have seen before, and I think the audience in TechCube 0 thought so too. After all, there was a standing ovation. 

Recommended Drink: Vodka Red Bull. Gotta stay awake somehow.

You can catch Anatomy of a Night at TechCube 0 at Summerhall from Aug 14-18, 20-25 at 22:30. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.