A show's programme is an oft overlooked aspect of many Fringe Productions. Some companies eschew the practice entirely, others put out some glossy but usually discarded multi-page booklet. The key is the content.
In the case of Hoors, the programme is not only a vessel for the cast and crew information, but a comedy note in itself, with a back page devoted to the myriad examples of Scottish slang used in the production. This had quite a few members of the audience chuckling away before the show had even begun.
It's sadly a promise of wit that the show only half managed to deliver upon. Peering murkily into a ripe scenario where two lads and two lassies are drunken and druggedly flirting in a fairly inappropriate situation, the play has much potential.
Yet while the story of recently bereaved bride-to-be Vicki and her cynical sister Nikki and their hot and cold lusty encounters with the deceased groom's best friends is often funny, the show lacks punch. There's a building ludicriousness to the setup and situation which builds up, only to unexpectedly deflate towards the end.
It's still an often funny play, with snatches of wry wit and some acerbic observations of the hypocrisies of people in lust and love. The cast equally have great comic timing and play the parts with gusto. It's just a shame that the overall result never quite meets the highs it could have, instead simply being an enjoyable but unremarkable experience.