‘Showcases student talent and their clear enjoyment in performing, radiating a fun and light-hearted atmosphere.’
‘Detective Heartbreak’ comes to the Edinburgh Fringe through the University of Glasgow’s Student Theatre at Glasgow society, directed by Lewis Cooper and starring Jake Thomson, Daniel Parrett, Tilly Mearns and Kathryn Kennedy. It follows Connor, played by Parrett; a down-on-his-luck, Chappell Roan-obsessed magician-school student struggling in the harsh terrain of online dating. However, all hope is not lost for Connor, as the illustrious Detective Heartbreak (Jake Thomson) is on the case to find him a match!
Parrett is dedicated to his comical overexaggeration of Connor’s character, which further humours Connor’s loser persona and painful lack of any ability to talk to women, and Thomson’s Detective Heartbreak throws himself into the classic film-noir detective stereotype fantastically with no hesitance interacting with the audience and engaging in the space around him to the best of his ability. From start to finish, the play knows exactly what it is and leans into it fully; a campy and loud slap-stick comedy full of comical and stylised physical and vocal acting.
Kathryn Kennedy plays Connor’s date, Vanessa, who also evidently struggles with modern dating alongside her career as a canine trainer for law enforcement. Vanessa’s awkwardness is portrayed wonderfully by Kennedy and contributes effectively to the painfulness of her and Connor’s horrendous first date. This is also not helped by Connor’s wingman and long-time friend, Victor (Tilly Mearns), who hilariously screws things up even more; Mearns seems to demonstrate impeccable comedic timing, which made Connor and Vanessa’s trainwreck of a date all the more fun to watch!
The light-hearted and comical production ‘Detective Heartbreak’ showcases local student talent and also importantly, their evident enjoyment in performing; which bounces off the audience and results in a pleasant and laugh-filled atmosphere.
This show’s run has concluded and was performed at The Space @ Niddry Street in Edinburgh from the 7th-15th August 2026. The link to the performance information can be found here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/detective-heartbreak