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Water Colour review – an elegant, expertly handled study of depression

The Guardian Culture Saturday 08 August 2026, 19:00 UTC By Mark Fisher 1 min read
Key Points

Traverse theatre, EdinburghMilly Sweeney’s award-winning two-hander about an art student and a kitchen porter draws power from its clever structure and light touchIt is rare to come out of a show raving about the structure, but the unusual plotting distinguishes Milly Sweeney’s two-hander. The young playwright’s theme is the way everyday social pressures – the stress of completing an art degree show, the anxiety of starting a job – can take a toll on mental health. With sensitivity, she...

Traverse theatre, Edinburgh
Milly Sweeney’s award-winning two-hander about an art student and a kitchen porter draws power from its clever structure and light touch

It is rare to come out of a show raving about the structure, but the unusual plotting distinguishes Milly Sweeney’s two-hander. The young playwright’s theme is the way everyday social pressures – the stress of completing an art degree show, the anxiety of starting a job – can take a toll on mental health. With sensitivity, she traces the step-by-step process that might take someone from depression, compounded by circumstance, to thoughts of suicide.

Her characters are Esme (Molly Geddes) – friendless at Prestwick Academy, isolated at Glasgow School of Art – and Harris (Ryan J Mackay), seemingly on the up after landing a job as a kitchen porter in a Michelin-star restaurant.

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Water Colour (ORG) Traverse (ORG) EdinburghMilly Sweeney’s (ORG) Milly Sweeney (PERSON) Esme (PERSON) Molly Geddes (PERSON) Prestwick Academy (ORG) Glasgow School of Art (ORG) Harris (PERSON) Ryan J Mackay (PERSON) Michelin (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian Culture Read original →

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Traverse theatre, EdinburghMilly Sweeney’s award-winning two-hander about an art student and a kitchen porter draws power from its clever structure and light touchIt is rare to come out of a show raving about the structure, but the unusual plotting distinguishes Milly Sweeney’s two-hander. The young playwright’s theme is the way everyday social pressures – the stress of completing an art degree show, the anxiety of starting a job – can take a toll on mental health. With sensitivity, she...

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