Shotgunned at Assembly George Square Review
Relationships rarely end because of one big moment. More often, they’re shaped by hundreds of smaller ones. Shotgunned captures that beautifully, taking a familiar story of love and loss and telling it with intelligence, warmth and two outstanding performances.
Matt Anderson’s script opens at the end of Dylan and Roz’s relationship, before jumping backwards and forwards through the moments that brought them together and ultimately pulled them apart. It’s an ambitious structure, but one that’s confidently handled. Each scene feels like another piece of the puzzle, slowly revealing how two good people can love each other deeply and still end up taking different paths.
The writing is the production’s greatest strength. Anderson has a brilliant ear for dialogue, finding humour in everyday awkwardness without ever undercutting the emotional weight of the story. Conversations feel lived-in, recognisable and genuinely funny, making the more heartbreaking moments land all the harder. It’s an assured piece of writing that never tries too hard to manufacture emotion—it earns it.
Fraser Allan Hogg is excellent as Dylan, giving him an anxious, loveable awkwardness that makes him instantly relatable. His comic timing is superb, whether he’s rambling to fill an uncomfortable silence or stumbling through conversations he’d rather avoid. Dylan could easily become an overgrown man-child in less capable hands, but Hogg gives him real depth and vulnerability.
Lorna Panton is equally impressive as Roz. Initially guarded and dry-witted, she gradually allows the cracks to appear beneath the surface, delivering a performance full of restraint and emotional honesty. A late monologue about grief is handled with remarkable control, quietly devastating precisely because it never asks for sympathy.
Together, the pair have an easy chemistry that makes the relationship believable from the outset. Even during the arguments, there’s a lingering affection between them that reminds you why they fell in love in the first place.
The stripped-back staging allows the performances to take centre stage, proving that compelling writing and talented actors can do far more than an elaborate set ever could.
Funny, heartfelt and refreshingly honest, Shotgunned is a beautifully written play about the people who shape us, even when they don’t stay. It’s another reminder that some of the Fringe’s most rewarding theatre doesn’t need spectacle—just a sharp script, two exceptional actors and the confidence to let both do the heavy lifting.
★★★★
Reviewed by Liam Arnold, August 2026.