Playback

Playback follows teenager Euan Munro looking back through the history of his YouTube vlog as he is groomed online, turning vulnerability, abuse, anxiety and naivety into a raw Bildungsroman. The real childhood videos become a telling part of the story rather than merely illustrating it.

The multimedia is excellent. The videos, the cues and the transitions are all so smooth that the technology disappears into the storytelling. With essentially one actor on stage, that matters. Everything flows, and the production gets a lot from the relationship between Munro and the footage of his younger self.

There is some nice humour too, which provides a little contrast to the absolute tragedy of what is happening. But what gives the piece its real depth is how genuine it feels. It is clearly close to Munro's heart, and that comes through without needing to be announced. It feels frighteningly real to be in the room with him.

Very good. Honest, raw and exceptionally well integrated.

Playback by Euan Munro. Credit Ruari Barber Fleming.