Derby Day, Without Compromise Theatre Review
Written by Jacqueline for Theatre & Tonic
Please note, Derby Day has an age recommendation of 16+ and contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, scenes of violence and reference to sexual violence.
Following on from their five-star production of Wish You Were Here at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, Without Compromise Theatre are back with an all-new show for 2025- Derby Day. A small town in Fife has been shaken by a brutal murder, and the police investigation is growing ever more thorough. On the day of the Edinburgh Derby, things reach a breaking point in an explosion of past wounds, betrayals, and violence.
Michael Johnson’s writing and Lucy Pedersen’s direction make for a masterful piece of theatre. Though Derby Day runs at a tight fifty minutes, the simultaneous sense of intrigue and foreboding is apparent from just minutes into the show. Danny Menzie’s set design is simple and neutral, allowing the audience to feel engaged in the setting without drawing focus from the dialogue. As the details of the murder are gradually revealed, the tension is palpable as the situation escalates. When things eventually reach breaking point, the show does well to create a frantic sense of emotional breakdown, without ever seeming over-the-top.
At its core, Derby Day is a show about the lengths people will go to in order to protect their family. Though the most physically intense scenes are between the two men, the female characters do a phenomenal job at keeping the show grounded. The contrast between the genders paints a complex picture of the different ways in which men and women respond to and process trauma- an engrossing emotional crux of the show.
Once again, the team at Without Compromise Theatre have created a thought-provoking piece of art that encapsulates some of the most difficult issues facing Scotland today. Derby Day challenges its audience to consider the concept of what counts as justice, and the domino effect that a single trauma can have on wider society. This is a hard hitting and incredibly relevant watch.
Derby Day runs at theSpace Triplex at 19:25-20:05 daily until August 23rd.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
