The Rhinestone Cowboy
★★★★☆ Direct
Summerhall: Fri 23 – Sat 24 Oct 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
The Rhinestone Cowboy from Jaggy Edina is a deeply felt, visually impressive piece that has real impact.
At Summerhall for two nights only as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, the short one-woman play tells the story of Dan the Man, a young Scotsman who journeys to Iceland to study.
As a portrait of someone who is presented as a lively, outgoing youngster who is nevertheless beset by struggles with schizophrenia and psychotic episodes, the show pulls no punches. Even if you don’t know that it is a true story, and that performer Hjarta and audiovisual artist Harry Bongo are Dan’s real-life family, there is no escaping the huge emotional power of the production.
Hjarta in Rhinestone Cowboy. Pic: Supplied.
Hjarta’s performance is considered, exceptionally well-paced and commanding. With the aid of little other than minimal props, some hats and drawn-on facial hair, she provides a steady, unhurried and commanding presence.
The projections and sound, meanwhile, are meaningful and far-reaching, threatening to overpower but never actually doing so. The whole thing also has a warmth, a humanity and a gentle humour that the subject matter might not necessarily suggest.
considerable thought
While the emotion on display may be raw, the theatrical experience is the product of considerable thought.
It is, of course, awkward to find fault with such a personal production. However, it is a short show and does feel like it, with it still appearing unfinished at points. Perhaps from a desire not to make it too personal, the narrative does end up being rather elliptical at times.
Hjarta in Rhinestone Cowboy. Pic: Supplied.
While the choices for the sound are generally spot on, there are moments where the songs are over-familiar. Presumably these are pieces with a personal connection to Dan. It does, however, mean that sometimes (a nightclub scene being backed by Underworld’s Born Slippy, or an attempt to create a blissful domestic scene soundtracked by CSNY’s Our House) it comes across as a little on-the-nose in theatrical terms.
These are isolated moments, however. It has to be said that rarely do live performance and pre-recorded audio-visual elements mesh together with as much thought and to as much effect as they do in this uncompromising and arresting production.
Running time: 45 minutes (no interval).
Summerhall (Tech Cube 0), 1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL.
Friday 23 – Saturday 24 October 2026.
Daily: 7pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Jaggy Edina website: jaggyedina.sunnyleith.co.uk/
Facebook: @jaggyedinaproductions
Instagram: @jaggyedinaproductions
Linktree: @jaggyedinaproductions.
Hjarta in Rhinestone Cowboy. Pic: Supplied.
ENDS
