Presented by Fay Guiffo
Review by Dominic Corr
Stepping beneath the lofty stone arches of Assembly Roxy Central, audiences are instantly enveloped in an ambient, night-time soundscape of rustling foliage and distant nature. As much as it may look like Edinburgh, we could be anywhere, at any time, and it’s a glorious transition from the chaos outside.
Designed by Nik Paget–Tomlinson and engineered by Dave Waugh, this soothing prelude prepares the room for Arcana, a mesmerising one-woman production written, composed, and performed by artist Fay Guiffo. Blending Afrofuturist fantasy with classical discipline, this mythic fable follows an apprentice musician—the daughter of a tyrannical ruler—struggling for self-expression within a silent empire where voices are strictly censored.
Guiffo is a commanding stage presence, delivering a masterclass in musical storytelling as her virtuosic violin seamlessly bridges Western classical motifs with energetic African rhythms and Ghomala’ lyrics. Under Hannah Venet’s movement direction, her physical performance possesses an effortless, dance-like elegance. The narrative occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own intricate world-building; its non-linear structure can obscure the core dramatic conflict and leave the audience momentarily grasping for narrative anchors. Yet, just as the thematic density threatens to overcomplicate the story, Jamie Wardrop’s exquisite visual projections transform the stage into luminous, dreamlike vistas, re-centring the piece’s emotional trajectory.
Co-directing alongside Jaïrus Obayomi, Guiffo constructs a deeply layered universe where ancestral echoes and future visions harmoniously entwine. While the script—refined through a rigorous development process—might benefit from a slightly streamlined focus to sharpen its allegorical bite, any structural ambiguity is eclipsed by the sheer passion of its delivery. Guiffo’s composition rises into stirring crescendos that articulate the pain of suppression and the exhilarating triumph of liberation far better than dialogue ever could.
What results is a poetic, multi-sensory sanctuary that offers a welcome respite from the chaotic noise of the festival streets outside. Arcana is a visually captivating and musically soul-stirring celebration of identity, reclaiming heritage, and discovering the courage to speak one’s truth.
A Sanctuary
Arcana runs at venue 139, Central at Assembly Roxy at 10:00
Running time – Fifty-five minutes
Review by Dominic Corr (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Editor of Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, The Wee Review and Edinburgh Guide. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic’s Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
