Bethany Ramsay
If you’ve been wandering around Edinburgh the last few weeks you may have noticed the eye-catching posters featuring the iconic red swimsuit of the 90s cult classic, Baywatch. I certainly have.
Spraywatch is a new musical parody which takes some classic 90s tropes and spins them together in a delightfully executed comedy-drama. We follow our protagonist, The Lifeguard – I’d tell you her name, but it’s a bit of a spoiler – as she is kicked out of her beloved beach team in Santa Monica for having cellulite – Heaven forbid! Determined to prove herself, she embarks on a journey to the world’s worst performing beach: Spray, in Edinburgh. She is greeted by a series of colourful local characters who are at first hesitant, but soon accepting of our protagonist’s journey. Through a series of hilarious songs and skits, we follow our motley crew of beach employees as they unwrap a sequence of mysterious events. I won’t give away the ending, but the plot resolves in such a delicious pulling together of breadcrumbed details that you can’t help but feel wholly impressed. The Lifeguard saves the day, and realises that perhaps there are more important things in life to worry over than the cellulite on our skins.
Written, composed and directed by Hywel Evans, this new musical brings a zany concept filled with nostalgic moments and executes it delightfully. The comedy in the writing is clear, though there are a few moments in which the necessary beats don’t quite land. The songs are catchy, with often hilarious lyrics that not only entertain but advance the plot expertly. The set design (Richard Ross) is simple yet effective with decorated deck chairs morphing to set a range of situations from a taxi to a garden shed. The sound design (Paul Webster) was a little rough, oftentimes with the actors’ voices mixed too low against the tracks – this could, however, be limitations of its fringe space.
The ensemble cast of five are excellent with all but Izabella Webb, The Lifeguard, navigating multiple roles throughout. A few of the accents are muddled, but this can be forgiven in the farcical tone of the show. Izabella Webb skillfully executes at once a perfect caricature of the classic 90s Baywatch model whilst also delivering real heart and grit to the character. Natalie Hayes delivers the showstopping number of the night by waxing musically poetic about her idol, Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote, while Abbie Ashall as Rose brings an incredibly watchable performance of a vulnerable character with a tougher-than-stone exterior. Jamie Knapper executes impeccable comedic timing in his quick flipping of characters, while Ant McGinley paints an endearingly charming portrayal of Fred, a man whose defining personality trait is his deep seated fear of crabs.
While it is no doubt a skillfully written and performed piece, which is entertaining throughout, there are muddled moments in the comedic delivery that occasionally take us off beat. The show tackles the characters’ perceptions of their 90s coded issues well and, as expected, leads us into the world of criticising these perfect expectations. It’s thematically linked well to the recent resurgence of the glamourisation of extreme thinness in celebrity culture and perhaps even more connections to this theme throughout the show outwith the fairytale ending would be welcome.
Expertly crafted and distinctly hilarious, Low Fat Productions’ Spraywatch is an exciting and uplifting new addition to the UK’s musical theatre landscape.
Recommended Drink: Malibu Sunset – let’s bring those California beach vibes to sunny Scotland!
Peformances of Spraywatch: A Beautiful Rescue have now concluded at EdFringe 2026.
Ellen Leslie
Tom Clayton
