REVIEW: Parasocial Activity, Gallus and Silly Mission Productions, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★★

Having reviewed (and loved!) Briony Martha’s previous production Do Astronauts Masturbate in Space? at Dundee Fringe, I thought I knew what to expect from her latest offering, Parasocial Activity. I was wrong. As funny, touching, and talented as I know Martha to be, this one-woman-show well and truly blew me out of the water, and showed me just what she is capable of when her full creative potential is unleashed.

Briony Martha – soon to be a household name – is a powerhouse performer, and Scottish theatre is lucky to have her. She is sickeningly charismatic, magnetic, and vulnerable in her performance, and her solo writing debut with Parasocial Activity has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to writing, too. 

Parasocial Activity follows Jenny, a heartbroken young woman, as she falls in love with James McAvoy following a chance encounter in Costa. As their love deepens, we begin to question the truth as Jenny tells it. But she’s thriving, so what can be the harm? 

Despite the relatively simple and silly premise, Martha writes with a wit and commitment to be envied – she is utterly un-selfconscious, allowing her to unlock a level of humor and connection to the audience that is rarely accessed. Her quirky perspective and observational humour build the perfect comedic framework, but her touching and vulnerable characterisation of Jenny is what really pushes this production over the line. However trite the saying is, I was laughing one moment and crying real tears the next, which is a testament to the pitch-perfect writing.

Martha’s performance should be studied by all wannabe actors. She commands the space, larger than life and twice as committed. She refuses to slip into stereotype or caricature despite the bizarreness of her role, and instead takes every thought, word, and action deadly seriously, heightening the comedy and the pathos of the script.

She doesn’t miss a trick, pulling off some intensive mic-ography that would daunt the bravest of actors, and oozes such charisma that the audience are practically falling over in their haste to give her a well-earned standing ovation. She traverses the difficult emotional landscape of the play’s climax with seeming ease, in a way that makes me think that this must have been what it felt like to watch the moon landing. 

If you see one thing this Fringe, let it be Parasocial Activity. If you see anything else for the rest of your life, let it be a Briony Martha production. I truly believe that I have witnessed the next big thing in Scottish theatre, and you can too.

Drink recommendation: Aperol Spritz – bubbly, fun, and a little sickly.

You can catch Parasocial Activity at The Penny at Gilded Balloon Patter House from 5-31 August (not 17, 24) at 17:40 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.