SKIMSTONE Arts Theatre Company presents Doorbells, a tale about loneliness in today’s world of connected social media. The story is about a middle-aged woman (Claire Webster Saaremets) who has just moved in to a place where she doesn’t know anybody; it is told through her creative imagination and through the perspective of her also seemingly lonely neighbors (John Pope and Peter Saaremets).

The show was very cathartic without being too deep or emotional. I spoke to the Artistic Director, Claire Webster Saaremets after the show and she explained that she didn’t want an overly emotional performance, but rather a comical one with hints of sadness and I think they got the balance right.

The music was magical, specifically the composition using doorbells as instruments – it’s evident that the musicians involved are very talented. The non-existent stage design (apart from a few props) worked extremely well as it didn’t take away from the captivating performance and the story, which I loved because my eyes were drawn to the actors at all times.

In the Q and A session after the performance, the audience opened up about their experiences and it was clear to me that it had touched people in the room (including me) in ways they didn’t think the subject could. No matter how old you are or who you live with, everybody has experienced or knows somebody with loneliness. Doorbells isn’t patronizing in any way; I think it accurately portrays the emotion of loneliness beautifully.

* Doorbells is set to play at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe at Spotlites Theatre, August 16t to 22. Box Office: spotlites.co.uk or 0131-220-5911