Concerned Others

Oct 12 2026 | By Hugh Simpson More

★★★★☆ Moving

Summerhall: Fri 9 – Sun 10 Oct 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson

Concerned Others is an inventive piece that addresses vital social issues in a way that is poignant, informed and deeply creative.

The title of Tortoise in a Nutshell’s production, first seen at the 2023 Fringe and returning to Summerhall as part of a tour throughout October, refers to the family members of people with substance dependency, and it is the words of these people that forms the spine of the piece.

Concerned OthersTortoise in a Nutshell
Summerhall and tour
October 2026
Review

Alex Bird in Concerned Others. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.

Deviser Alex Bird performs by manipulating a variety of objects on a tabletop. These can also be seen on screens above his head, alongside additional footage and the words that we hear throughout from the ‘concerned others’ and health professionals.

The testimony is stark and moving, with a wide variety of experience reflected. The piece constantly seeks to avoid the familiar stigma and put everything in its human context and avoid the moral judgements that still characterise the reactions of many, as well as media coverage of the issues.

lived experience

Drug deaths in Scotland remain the highest in Europe and one of the highest in the world, with the 20265 numbers up again and still running at four times the level of 2000. That this is closely tied to poverty and the other problems this causes is confronted head on here. The shame and ignorance that usually characterise the debate are replaced here by the under-heard voices of those with lived experience.

Alex Bird in Concerned Others. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.

The visual presentation is wonderfully exact and hugely involving, with tiny 32mm figurines and their shoebox habitats, masks and a zoetrope-style turntable, all moved with care and clearly visible on screen. It’s possible to read all kinds of symbolism into each of these objects, but either way it is involving, poignant, and does not trivialise the subject in any way.

Jim Harbourne’s compositions, contemplative and sounding somewhat careworn, echo the impeccable AV design of Lewis den Hertog beautifully, while Andrew Gannon’s lighting adds to the intimacy of the performance, which fills the Anatomy Lecture Theatre despite its understated nature.

humanity on display

The whole thing could come across as dry and preachy (and does threaten to on occasion), but the humanity on display certainly mitigates this. Such warmth was echoed on this occasion by an illuminating Q and A chaired by Thom Dibdin of this very website.

Of necessity, this is a somewhat downbeat piece, but its refusal to pass judgement, as well as its apparently boundless creativity, gives Concerned Others an impact far beyond its apparently small scale.

Running time: 50 minutes (No interval).
Summerhall (Anatomy Lecture Theatre), 1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL.
Friday 9/Saturday 10 October 2026.
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Run ended.

Platform, The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, Glasgow, G34 9JW.
Thursday 15 October 2026.
Evening: 7pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Eastgate Theatre, Eastgate, Peebles EH45 8AD.
Saturday 17 October 2026.
Evening: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Grangemouth Town Hall, Bo’ness Road, Grangemouth FK3 8AN.
Monday 19-Tuesday 20 October 2026.
Mon: 7.30pm; Tue: 2pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Paisley Art Centre, Paisley, 15 New St, Paisley PA1 1EZ.
Sunday 25 October 2026.
Evening: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
The Barn, Burn O Bennie, Banchory AB31 5QA.
Friday 30 October 2026.
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.