Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh
Bettina Paris and Tina Rizzo play sisters who care for their father from different countries in a sincere two-hander
Bettina Paris’s play has a scenario that will hit home for many. Two sisters, far apart, navigate caring for their father who behaves, says one, “like a 62-year-old teenager”. Pip lives near him in Malta; Krista has moved to London. Does that render their responsibilities unequal? Used to navigating his alcoholism together, they provide support for each other but a potent mix of guilt, resentment and envy hangs in the air when his condition worsens.
In Nicky Allpress’s production, Paris plays Krista and Tina Rizzo is Pip, the pair swiftly establishing a rapport based on fond ribbing and blunt honesty. Their love is palpable but you wonder, as is often the case, whether they would be friends if they weren’t siblings. Paris contrasts them quickly: Pip is smartly dressed, holds a regular job and has just got engaged at a fancy restaurant; Krista dines on Pot Noodles, balances bar shifts with auditions and has a similarly unsteady love life. There is light humour throughout, tempering a doleful tone established by snippets of the Rolling Stones (You Can’t Always Get What You Want) and Guns N’ Roses’ version of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.
At Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until 26 August
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