Review: Zamboni at A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Glasgow
A new drama about three ice skating instructors who witness an accident is the offering this week at A Play, A Pie and A Pint. Zamboni by Lex Joyce runs at Òran Mór, Glasgow, until Saturday 7 Nov 2026, before heading to Assembly Roxy in Edinburgh. Read my review below.
Zamboni ★★★☆☆
Review: 3 November 2026 | Òran Mór, Glasgow
It's rare that my two hobbies of being a massive figure skating fan and theatre obsessive overlap, but they do this week at A Play, A Pie and A Pint with Lex Joyce's new drama Zamboni.
Set in an ice skating rink, three coaches, Donal (Samuel Lee Johnston), Noa (Loretta Francis), and Gus (Nathan Prestwich), oversee a public skating session when a horrific accident occurs on the ice.
I've always had immense respect for the athletes, coaches and casual skaters who dare to strap knives to their feet and zoom around on a slippery sheet of glass. I am very firmly a fan and spectator only. Zamboni drives home just how dangerous a sport skating can be - whether that's figure skating, ice hockey or speed skating. It's a risky and expensive endeavour.
The heartfelt story at the core of Zamboni explores trauma, friendship and following your passions, no matter how difficult that may be. I personally felt a thrill every time a skater or skating reference was mentioned. I've never before heard Alysa Liu or Ilia Malinin's names spoken in a theatre. So thank you, Lex Joyce; You made my skating-fan heart very happy. Given the recent Winter Olympics, perhaps these skating superstars are now more widely known than before the major global sporting event was beamed into our living rooms, but there's no denying that ice skating is still a niche topic. And Joyce wisely keeps the technical details and insider knowledge to a minimum.
You don't need to be a skating fan to enjoy this play. Zamboni focuses on a group of people who witness something traumatic at their local rink, which also happens to be their place of work; a place where they previously felt comfortable and safe. The story is really about the impact of trauma on their friendship group and their individual recoveries from that; it just happens to be set in a winter sports environment.
Nevertheless, an ice rink is a tricky setting in which to base a theatre production because all the drama takes place offstage. The ice hockey team coaching, the public skating sessions where the accident happens, the Zambonis resurfacing the ice afterwards, and even a driving lesson in the streets outside are all unseen. The theatre of it all is greatly assisted by Ross Nurney's great sound design - the dramatic thud of a collision on the ice is abrupt and shocking - but we don't see any of the actual action, only the actors' reactions to it.
Directed by Anna Whealing, the three actors do a fine job of reacting to the offstage scenarios and of portraying the emotions, concerns and resilience of skating coaches who each face their own personal battles. Their group camaraderie and distress are believable. But because the play's most pivotal dramatic moments occur entirely offstage, it does start to feel like a staged radio drama rather than a dynamic piece of live theatre.
There are moments of well-judged humour within the show: a recurring game of "guess the customers' personalities based on the shoes they've left in the locker room" provides a fun interlude, and a scene with a nepo-baby-rabbi breaks the tension and the ice cold a little.
Zamboni is a very welcome, unique premise for a play that has scope for development. It's delivered with a flowing, natural dialogue and charm by the young actors who make it a joy to watch. ★★★☆☆
MORE: Also playing in Glasgow this week: Tony Roper's The Steamie. Read my review here
Where to see Zamboni at A Play, A Pie and A Pint
Òran Mór, Glasgow: Mon 2 – Sat 7 Nov 2026
Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh: Wed 11 - Sat 15 Nov 2026
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