"WE HOPE TO BE THERE when the magic happens" – so said a couple from San Antonio, Texas, who were two in front of me in the queue.  This is true; we all hope to see some magic at the Edinburgh Festival.  That's why we attempt to read whole sections of the Fringe programme, why we seek out new venues, why we take a chance on a show that someone's sold us on the Royal Mile.

Married to the Sea, a new play by Shona McCarthy, is a great place to find a dose of that Fringe Magic.  Told from a young girl's perspective, it's the story of the breakdown of an Irish family whose hopes and fears rest firmly anchored in the sea.

From the onset, with its elements of song and its Dylan Thomas-esque descriptions of the sleepy Irish town, we are captured by a sweet, clear and poetic storytelling.  There's an element of heightened reality here; it's a yarn that straddles the space between childhood and adulthood, the present and the past, the living and the dead, and that subsequently allows such poetry to be stitched into the fabric of the story.

The actors fit their roles perfectly.  Siobhan Donnellan is captivating as the daughter Jo.  Her childlike charm and enthusiasm are a delight to watch, as is the dawning awareness of an adult world that lives just beyond her own.  Fiachra O'Dubhghaill plays a number of roles brilliantly, swapping between the comic and dramatic roles seamlessly; his Teresa Naughton, a hand-slapping harridan of a woman is both funny and menacing.  Carla Bredin brings a quiet gravity to her role as Mam, a woman whose life has been shaped by personal tragedy.

The script is beautifully written, although the story is perhaps a little long.  This may be because the execution feels slightly too measured; there is an evenness of tone that doesn't change with the comedy and drama.

Nevertheless, this story of family tragedy, set against the so called progress of the modern world is a moving and very enjoyable one.  For the two ladies who sat next to me, whose first show of the Fringe it was, Married to the Sea was a very good start to the Festival.