We Are All Florida Man
★★★★☆ Ridiculous
theSpace @ Niddry St (Venue 9): Mon 24 – Sat 29 Aug 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
We Are All Florida Man is a piece of comedy absurdism whose own internal logic is sustained by humour, fine performances and energetic staging.
Blue McElroy’s new play, presented by Lubna Kerr and Kerr Arts Collective at theSpace @ Niddry Street for the end of the Fringe, draws on the ‘Florida Man’ meme. This refers to the large number of irrational and ridiculous crimes perpetrated by inhabitants of that state.
The play is presented as being a meeting of an ‘outreach programme’ for similar individuals in this country, with the audience immediately welcomed as possible participants in the group.
Welcome to the group. A scene from We Are All Florida Man. Pic: Blue McElroy.
There is a great deal of clever writing in a play that revels in its ridiculousness; it may not be going anywhere in particular but is still tightly structured in its evocation of an absurd (and oddly familiar) world.
There are some fantastic performances as well. Chelsea Grace as River, the group’s organiser, is very good as someone whose apparent calmness doesn’t do a very good job of hiding their anger. Gerry Kielty’s Sam, meanwhile, is a beautifully-realised comic creation, with a perfectly-realised running gag of him constantly being surprised at having raised his hand.
There are asides, gestures and glances that help to build up a picture of the characters’ relationships, particularly in the case of Jack Elvey’s frustrated assistant organiser and Victoria Giambalvo’s squirrel-training revenge-seeker. Although decidedly exaggerated, the various personalities have an odd believability and a peculiar substance to them.
difficult juggling act
Calum Barbour as an over-earnest group member, and Paul Connolly as his friend (a reluctant attender who turns out to be stranger than anyone else) are pitched just right. Ashley Barlow, as a kleptomaniac and Calum Beaton, as a put-upon group member who is never allowed to contribute, complete a cast that could easily be too large to accommodate in a play as short this, but the difficult juggling act of giving them all time to establish themselves is done with some flair.
A scene from We Are All Florida Man. Pic: Blue McElroy.
The narrative flow, and the genuinely funny dialogue, are helped by the direction of Jen McGregor, which provides both energy and a clever sense of space. The framing devices (the co-opting of the audience, the fact that the group only have the space for a limited time) add a layer of reality in which the absurdity can flourish.
One possible explanation for the ‘Florida Man’ phenomenon is that the state has even less provision for those with mental health issues than the rest of the US, with many people doing worrying things as a result. So this play could be seen as trading on vulnerabilities.
genuine sympathy
But this isn’t really the case, as the characters are largely presented with genuine sympathy, even when they and their actions are ludicrous, and (even in the case of River) without real judgement. Which all helps to give the play an odd weight as well as large helpings of humorous entertainment.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
theSpace @ Niddry St (Studio), Niddry St, EH1 1TH. (Venue 9).
Monday 24 – Saturday 29 August 2026.
Daily: 5.05pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Production Instagram: @weareallfloridaman
A scene from We Are All Florida Man. Pic: Blue McElroy.
ENDS
