Review: Irvine Welsh's Porno | World Premier - Edinburgh Fringe

Irvine Welsh's Porno ★★★★☆

Review: 6 August 2022 | Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Pleasance Courtyard

The world premiere stage adaptation of the sequel to Trainspotting: Irvine Welsh's Porno.

15 years later, what has become of Renton, SickBoy, Spud and Begbie?

I loved this! First of all, it only lasts for an hour and so the contents of the novel are very condensed. But there is still a discernible story here.

Renton (Scott Kyle) is heading back to Edinburgh to see his dying mum, 15 years after doing a runner with his pals' money. Sick Boy (Simon Weir) is running a pub in Leith, and psycho Begbie (Chris Gavin) is still in jail. Spud (Kevin Murphy) is a tortured wee soul, trying his best to top himself to secure the life insurance money for his family.

When their paths cross in Davie Carswell's play, retribution is the order of the day!

From the minute he steps on stage, this is Chris Gavin's show. His portrayal of Begbie involves some monumental swearing and ranting right from the get-go. Chris delivers each line and each booming C-word clearly and perfectly to an adoring audience. He is so believable that I didn't think of Robert Carlisle once. Chris Gavin owns this role.

Kevin Murphy also deserves recognition for his portrayal of Spud. There are tics and mannerisms aplenty with this character; he is sometimes softly spoken and always fidgeting. It takes some skill to pull off all of that at once! A truly wonderful performance.

What an honour to witness these brilliant Scottish actors up close in an intimate venue and to meet these beloved characters once again.

For anyone on the fence, there is no need to worry about nudity or live porno action. All actors remain (almost) fully clothed, and the titular porno activity is kept (mostly) off stage. I saw Trainspotting live a few years ago, and that had much more nudity! So don't let the title put you off. But if you're offended by swearing, this is not the show for you. ★★★★☆

[Review first posted on Instagram 8 August 2022 - hence the very short review]