Man Shed at Edinburgh Fringe

Right Lines Productions returns to the Edinburgh Fringe

at the The Wee Room, Gilded Balloon, Teviot 2023

“Man Shed” is a bitter-sweet one-man theatre piece which explores the joy of sheds, the pain of loss and the comfort of friendship. The play has been inspired by Men’s Sheds around the world, but specifically by the work of the Scottish Men’s Shed Association.

Reviews – Man Shed 2022 (Right Lines Productions / Pleasance / Eden Court)

By Alan Cranston  ****| Published on Friday 26 August 2022

The loneliness of the old is relatively unexplored theatrically. Many older men, especially, are not naturally sociable, and may not recognise or act on their emotional needs. Here, in his shed, a man reflects after the loss of his wife and best friend. He understands his predicament intellectually but this is not helping him to come to terms emotionally. He starts to see that it is loneliness that underpins much else and to take his first steps back into the world via a community ‘shed’. Euan Martin’s excellent script explores the issues with wit and economy and Ron Emslie’s convincing performance brings dignity and pathos. Perhaps not everyone’s first fringe choice, but a must-see which merits a future life.

Pleasance Courtyard
tw rating 4/5 | [Alan Cranston]

Scotsman Review – David Pollock ***

A man in his elder years paces his garden shed, shredding old newspapers and dipping into his stash of Pot Noodles (chicken and mushroom flavour) for a treat. He talks to himself, and occasionally a visiting friend named Alex, although we hear only the present character’s side of the conversation. A stranger has gently accosted him in the supermarket crisp aisle and noted from his basket that he’s shopping for one – perhaps he’d like to come and visit a ‘men’s shed’ intended for “people like you”?

Link to Publicity Images