A truly stunning piece of environmental communication that deliciously utilises the full toolkit of storytelling theatre has to offer.
For a story about something so small, A Microscopic Odyssey is certainly one of the biggest successes of this year’s Fringe. Directed by Hope Wishart, this perfect little piece practically explodes with life, love, and everything that’s right about human nature.
True to her name, A Microscopic Odyssey is a story that’s not just about hoping for a safe future for our planet but actually gives us an example of how to achieve it. And true to the microscopic organisms this show takes a microscope to, every single detail of the production is expertly and intentionally crafted, taking advantage of every storytelling tool the joyful toolbox of live theatre has to offer.
Mycelium Theatre Company, founded by Wishart in 2025, focuses on developing new works that are sensory-driven and built from the ensemble up. For a festival that is dominated by one- and two-person shows (largely because that’s just technically and financially easier to do for such an expensive fringe), it’s refreshing to see any ensemble work, let alone the calibre on display in A Microscopic Odyssey. It is so clear that this is no ordinary or haphazardly assembled ensemble, but rather a group of highly talented actors who intimately know and trust their fellow collaborators – something that doesn’t come about with just any director or creative team. Each one gave outstanding performances, leaving nothing on the table and everything under the brilliantly utilised microscope.
Ben Boulton-Jones seamlessly brings to life the central character and real microbiologist James Weiss. His transformative power to shift between younger and older versions of the character while driving the main guts of the story is staggeringly good. Allie-Rae Fossum nailed her multitude of characters with subtlety and stunning clarity, and Elijah Bai Bangura and Greta Abbey balanced the group with their phenomenal range of physicality.
To laud this show without shouting out the designer, Enza Kim, though, would be cruel. It’s Kim’s (and Wishart’s) technical magic with the analogue projector that elevates this piece to another level and makes what could have been such a dusty, ordinary story so delightfully extraordinary. The show is a reminder of just how imaginatively stimulating images can be and how often we undervalue their storytelling power, relegating “the visuals” to some separate realm that has nothing to do with the actors’ bodies. Thanks to Kim and the rest of the Mycelium Theatre Company, I walked away from this show not only feeling differently about my ability to connect with the greater network of more-than-human life but also seeing what that might look like. That is a powerful gift to give an audience.
A Microscopic Odyssey was not so much a piece about the climate emergency or microbiology as it was a piece about refocusing our lens, zooming in as much as we zoom out, to never lose sight of the whole. And maybe learn something about life and how to live it well in the process.
Show Listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/a-microscopic-odyssey
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard, Beside
Dates: Aug 5th -30th
Time: 11:35
Ticket prices: £16.50/ concession: £14.50
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / http://www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 12+
———-