Review: Ohio - The Bengsons, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025
- Lisa in the theatre
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
Married American Indie-Folk duo, The Bengsons make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut with Ohio, a music-led true story about losing faith and finding hope. From the Olivier award-winning producers of Fleabag and Baby Reindeer, Francesca Moody Productions. Ohio by The Bengsons is at Assembly Roxy at Edinburgh Fringe until Sunday 24th August 2025.
Ohio by The Bengsons at Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★☆
review: 13 August 2025 | Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Ohio is part music gig and part theatre. It's a very personal true story from US Indie-Folk duo, The Bengsons (married couple Shaun and Abigail Bengson.)
Ohio - named after the state where Shaun was raised - is mostly Shaun's story of being a musician who suffers from inherited, degenerative hearing loss, his relationship with his pastor father and his religious upbringing. Intimate and moving, the couple weave their tale using their unique form of musical storytelling, Abigail's extraordinary voice melodic yet powerful, ranging from low rhythmic hums to almost Björk-like yodels at times.
The Bengson's exhilarating music is the centrepiece for the entire show and although I'd never heard any of their work before, I found the variety of styles and influences enthralling. Abigail is so warm, animated and captivating, she easily draws the audience in to what is a rousing musical experience. I did worry that the show was veering too far toward happy-clappy evangelical worship at times with we, the audience, as The Bengson's congregation, but they use religious themes and refrains only to demonstrate their upbringings and lost beliefs. They make sure to offer (humorous) options for opting out. It's very well done.
Throughout the show clever captions and sound effects are used to illustrate Shaun's tinnitus. The Bengson's use props and projectors, personal trinkets and smart lighting to enhance their storytelling. It's all neatly directed by Caitlin Sullivan and results in a distinct, breathtakingly beautiful example of autobiographical gig-theatre.
Although hearing loss is devastating for any musician, The Bengson offer Ohio as a funny and uplifting story of why they have decided to live joyfully. It left me with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. A delightful celebration of life and hope. ★★★★☆
The Bengsons Ohio plays at the Assembly Roxy (Upstairs) at Edinburgh Festival Fringe until Sunday 24th August 2025. Full details below.
On bringing a show to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time The Bengsons said:
"After many years of performing in New York City and across the USA, we are so delighted to be making our Edinburgh Fringe debut this year with Ohio, and to be working with our longstanding collaborator and friend, director Caitlin Sullivan.
This piece is deeply personal to us and is what we are calling an ecstatic grief concert — both a homage to the places we have loved and left behind, and an invitation to audiences to join us in sonic communion.
The Edinburgh Festival is such an incubator for exciting new work, and we are thrilled to be supported by phenomenal producers Francesca Moody and piece by piece productions, who make theatre with such care and creativity and share our joyful dedication to access and making disability art.
Ohio by The Bengsons at Edinburgh Fringe
Venue: Assembly Roxy (Upstairs)
Dates: 30th –31st July, 1st-24th August (not 6th, 11th or 18th)
Tickets: £16.50 (£14.50-£15.50)
Age Guidance: 12+
Running Time: 75 min
