REVIEW: Cruising, Dreambite Collective, EdFringe 2026 ★★

Dreambite Collective’s Cruising promises a fun and thought-provoking exploration of polyamory in conversation with the climate crisis, a fusion of rom-com and rallying cry. Despite the premise and punny title, it ultimately fails to make it to port.

Amelia, a cruise performer waiting for her big break, and Sam, a directionless former climate activist, meet by chance at the cruise bar and sparks fly. But they soon realise that they are both in open relationships with the same person, and the ensuing tidal wave of insecurity and forbidden attraction to one another spurs them to begin to organise climate action against the mega-polluting cruise-liner that they inhabit. The cruise staff and holidaymakers soon join them, but when push comes to shove, can Sam and Amelia stay committed to their cause, or to their feelings for one another?

Billed as a subversive queer rom-com, Katrina Bennett’s script is tame, particularly in comparison to the hundreds of subversive shows available in Edinburgh at this very moment. Ostensibly about the climate crisis, it fails to make any attempt at sparking discussion about this crucial topic, instead focussing the logistics of planning Sam and Amelia’s hare-brained schemes against the cruise’s captain.

By the end of the play, it was easy to forget that the protests were supposed to be against the pollution caused by the ship, and not just because Amelia and Sam hated the Captain personally.

The play fails to make a salient point about polyamory. Aside from being a neat plot device to introduce tension between Amelia and Sam by throwing a wrench in their one-night-stand, the characters make surprisingly little reference to their polyamory. The only time that it becomes relevant is when one character uses their relationship with their shared partner against the other, which sparks jealousy and insecurity that sees no real resolution, serving to bolster dominant negative cultural discourse about polyamorous relationships. The bulk of the play was devoted to Amelia bragging, or Sam delivering lacklustre monologues about their time as an activist. The balance of the script could use significant retooling in order to give the characters something in common, allow them to actually explore their potential relationship, and most importantly to feature a level of exploration of environmental activism and the climate crisis.

The two performers were unable to elevate the material and, crucially, lacked any palpable chemistry. This was the killing blow to the production, as any deeper point that the script was attempting to make about following passion was lost. Davy Roderick’s Sam was disconnected, with a deadpan expression and lack of physical characterisation that made Sam, already written as a bit pathetic, very difficult to root for. This performance was contrasted by Clare Stenning’s Amelia, who had brief flashes of charm but ultimately came across as apathetic about anything other than herself. These characters and their portrayals did not make for a compelling love story, let alone a passionate one.

Cruising wants to be a play about passion, but lacks any of the ingredients. For a play about the climate crisis, it left me lukewarm.

Drink recommendation: At least five margaritas – you’re on your holidays!

You can catch Cruising at Bunker Three at Pleasance Courtyard from 5-31 (not 25) at 12:50 (60). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.