It isn’t easy to come up with a really original theatrical idea but this South African company, The Pink Couch has pretty much done just that.
George Orwell might have got there first but the idea of turning a run of the mill police thriller into an incisive comedy featuring a menagerie of threatening animals borders on genius.
It helps to have three really versatile actors, Rob van Vuuren, James Cairns and Albert Pretorius all ready to switch mood and role on the instant.
The story may sound familiar. Somewhere in South Africa, a couple of pigs (you can guess that double meaning) have been killed and we spend an hour following the authorities and their porcine brother as they try to track down the killer.
The obvious suspect is the Big, Bad Wolf, though an assortment of other farmyard occupants also make it into the picture before an ending worthy of a film noir or Hollywood remake.
Along the way, some pretty pithy comments on South African politics also leak out.
Under the slick direction of Tara Notcutt, the trio give their all in an inventive and engrossing hour of top quality theatre that will refresh even those jaded by the whole Edinburgh experience.