The One Act Festivals of the Scottish Community Drama Association throw up a varied menu of plays. Choices have to be made and these will often be taken on the basis of what cast is available. Friday 20th February included a comedy by Archie Wilson, a two-hander of psychological horror by Eleanor Fossey and a modern drama by David Greig (adapted).

St Serfs opened with Wilson’s Old Folk

The cast were handicapped by illness which had caused a substitution. The understudy, Vicky Horne, was word perfect and is to be congratulated for a brave effort. Unfortunately, the script has little to recommend it and I found the clichés of life in an old folks home – bingo and pretend deafness together with little understanding of how the very old actually move – to be irritating rather than funny.

Leitheatre (Kirkgate) took the middle slot with a two hander for two female actors, Playing With Daisy,. Esther is an inadequate with an imaginary friend, Daisy. Esther blames all that goes wrong on her mother and all she does wrong on Daisy. Life catches up with her and the play ends with a long prison term looming. Liza Shackleton and Ellie Arcidiaco gave brave performances. The director needs to demand a little more from them to bring the horror to its dramatic peak.

The third and final play on Friday evening was David Greig’s Yellow Moon adapted. It was performed by Edinburgh People’s Theatre.

This stood out. Not only was the script full of interesting light and dark, humour and pathos, but the cast were well rehearsed and well up to the demands made by it. The minimal staging and stark costumes allowed its themes to shine out. My winner on the night.

Run continues on Saturday 21st with Gala Dramateurs, Mercators and Edinburgh Theatre Arts.