The Underbelly
6 - 30 Aug (not 17), 9:05pm (10:35pm)

Here's a rarity in today's high-octane, bite-sized Fringe: a solid 90-minute piece of theatre, with a darkly serious theme.  Exploring a forbidden relationship in Franco's religious Spain, theatrical company You Need Me tackle taboos, prejudice and cultural oppression.  A challenging formula, yes - but on past performance, we think it'll be a winning one.

This play's brand new, but we'll be hoping for a repeat of You Need Me's triumphant debut last year.  We described 2008's How It Ended as "a simple story ... imbued with a tender substance", where the "excellent" cast "work to create a show which leaves a soft but indelible impression".  And it's easy to see parallels between last year's show and Certain Dark Things; both are performed intimately, in the round, both feature live music, and both set a fractured relationship against a backdrop of national turmoil.

Last year's production won critical acclaim for its courageous use of spoken English and French - and the multicultural theme continues with Certain Dark Things.  The company, we're told, has English, Spanish, Basque and Catalan members, with parts of the performance devised by the cast from their own families and cultures.  All in all, it's an intriguing combination - and we're crossing our fingers that this emerging young company will work their tender magic once again.