A LETTER TO LYNDON B JOHNSON OR GOD (WHOEVER READS THIS FIRST) - theSpace @ Niddry Street (19/08/25)

American writing duo display uneven storytelling, but plenty of heart

As far as fringe theatre goes, never is its true heart and soul on more profound display than with solo or duo performance, during which writers bare their souls, warts and all, with little to no visual or auditory embellishments, as they try and tell a story as we originally did, through simple words, emotions and shared experiences. Writers and performers Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland come bounding onto the stage dressed as boy scouts, named Grasshopper and Ace, in the midst of an expedition, covered in mud, battle hardened, and ready to tell us a story in the most raw, unfiltered manner they know how, equipped only with harmonicas and a single rubber tyre.

Natasha Roland and Xhloe Rice (credit: Morgan McDowell)

Heralding originally from New York, Xhloe and Natasha are no strangers to the Edinburgh fringe, having performed this show, amongst others, on multiple occasions over the years, and with "A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson" being one of three shows rotated by the pair during this year's fringe, you would have to say they are some of the hardest working performers out there at the moment. So the amount of energy they emanate and maintain throughout the course of this play is highly commendable.

The play focusses on the links between childhood and adulthood, with the two boy scouts acting as our lone storytellers throughout, addressing topics such as masculinity, male role models, the American dream, and the impact of the Vietnam War, all carried out with a playful innocence synonymous with boyhood. What the play does with great aplomb is blur the lines between playful fantasy and the reality of life beyond one's adolescence, as we see the real world through this distinctly child-like perspective, although this isn't always executed with a great deal of clarity, and the constant of the deification of president Johnson seems to be neither here nor there.

Natasha Roland and Xhloe Rice (credit: Morgan McDowell)

What also worked remarkably well was the simplicity yet effectiveness of the sound design, much of this features switching between chirping crickets to signify the solitude and stillness of the great outdoors, and a range of hits from the 1960s to give a sense of the time period, as well as possibly to re-energise us, the audience, from slipping into a trance like state, and though this did occur once or twice, one does still have to admire the conviction with which the pair express themselves. This one is a bit of a head scratcher, as although it is easy to fall for Xhloe and Natasha's infectious energy and seamless chemistry they share on stage, the muddle of metaphors they adopt doesn't necessarily provide consistent cogency without having to give our prefrontal cortex a thorough workout.

★★★☆☆

"A Letter To Lyndon B Johnson or God..." runs until Saturday the 23rd of August (tickets)

{PR/Gifted ticket}