Edinburgh Fringe: 15 Minutes of Shame

Sex work is work, so we're told. There's no difference between picking up a night job stacking shelves and a night job jacking-off on screen. Right?

Perhaps a couple need a little bit of extra cash and the siren song of OnlyFans is right there. Let's fire up the webcam and release ourselves from financial drudgery!

Then reality hits.

The script by Sean Stillmaker sounds like it was ripped straight out of LinkedIn. Under a lesser cast, lines about synergising brand strategy to optimise the subscriber funnel would sound contrived; here they sound like hyper-savvy young adults rationalising their poor decisions. If influencers are the dominant cultural force in the world, then it seems right that their language now infiltrates dialogue in the same way "Valley Girl" speech conquered early 2000s TV and movies.

The cast - Ellen Pallant and Anton Bibby - flit about the stage with poise and grace. Their kinetic energy buzzes out into the audience who remained transfixed throughout the performance. They each have an intensity and passion which fills the space - fully bringing to life characters dominated by hubris and helplessness. Full praise must go to Adébayo Bolaji, the director, for finding a way to stage the show without it becoming tawdry and exploitative.

The political polemic around the exploitation of the working class (and of the working girl) isn't exactly subtle. But it fits right in with the themes of being in slavish thrall to both bosses, the algorithm, and - ultimately - the fans who love/hate you.

The ending feels a bit abrupt, but had the audience gleefully discussing it as we were expelled into the cold light of day.