A Giggle With The Gaggle
★★★★☆ Affecting
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39): Mon 24 – Sat 29 Aug 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
Balancing Act Theatre’s A Giggle With The Gaggle, at theSpace on the Mile, is both laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely sad.
In David Gardner’s play, three friends down from Scotland for Brighton Pride are shocked by the death of Brian, the boyfriend of one of them and a long-time pal of the others. The play starts off as a riotous comedy, with explicit discussions of sexual themes, but then pivots into a touching exploration of loss and grief.
Chris Veteri and Lewis Mullan. Pic: Eleanor Rachel Tate & Matthew Attwood.
Both elements are handled with skill, and the potentially jarring switch in tone is navigated proficiently. There are moments that are less secure – a plot development is treated as a shocking revelation when it is far too clearly signalled – but the writing is extremely impressive.
This is matched by other facets of the production. Matthew Atwood’s direction is full of flair and empathy; there are both moments of joy, represented by slow-motion dancing among the audience, and moments of desolation, with reflective tableaux creating a real sense of space in a cramped area.
expressive physicality
The performances, meanwhile, give the production genuine energy as well as realism. There’s substantial comic presence to Lewis Mullan’s no-filter Craig; a wonderful comic timing and expressive physicality are exemplified by as good as display of ‘unhappy drunk’ acting as you could wish to see.
Devin McWhirter’s needy James is nuanced and believable, while Chris Veteri is beautifully vulnerable as Daniel’s boyfriend Brian.
Devin McWhirter, Lewis Mullan and Chris Veteri. Pic: Eleanor Rachel Tate & Matthew Attwood
Gardner has given himself the most difficult role to pull off as Daniel; it’s not a spoiler to say that he dies at the play’s beginning, and not much of one to say that the character still has a pivotal role in what follows. This device borders on the gimmicky, but is used with such integrity and sincerity that it works.
These explorations of grief and loss will strike a chord with anyone who has been in that situation, and the performance of the whole cast (and Veteri in particular) have a real emotional resonance.
celebration
In many ways the play is a celebration of finding your own family, but it demonstrates that doing so doesn’t shield you from the quarrels, resentments and losses that family can bring you.
The worst thing about the play is probably the title, which instantly suggests a low-quality sketch show rather than the funny, considered, immensely watchable and, yes, balanced, production which Balancing Act have come up with here.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3), 80 High St, EH1 1TH (Venue 39).
Monday 24 – Saturday 29 August 2026.
Daily: 12.35pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Balancing Act website: balancing-act-theatre
Facebook: @Balancing-Act-Theatre
Instagram: @balancingacttheatre
Lewis Mullan, Devin McWhirter and Chris Veteri. Pic: Eleanor Rachel Tate & Matthew Attwood.
ENDS
