War of Attrition

Players Theatre

****

There are so many references to Facebook at this year's Fringe that it would almost make you want to check out this hip and happenin' social network everyone's talking about. War of Attrition zooms in even further on virtual lives when a video of a chugger losing her temper goes viral and the "face to face fundraising" victim of such "trolling" decides to hit back.

Devious Theatre deftly sidesteps tempting clichés and instead delves into the unlikely friendship between a vindictive blogger, a too-poor-to-emigrate chugger, and a homeless man caught in the middle. Online anonymity, cruelty, harassment, retribution, tech-addiction and poverty are all confronted, with the loose connections of online life embodied by three strangers who have grown closer yet are still just a click away from a trust FAIL.

This is a strong story well told; funny, sharp, relevant and delivered with panache.

Ends Sept 14th