Puttana / W***e

Photo credit: Federica Wolynski

Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026

4 stars – powerful and intimidating performance

Laura is not yet 24, she still owns a huge teddy bear, and she gets paid for sexual services. This makes her a sex worker. Right? A whore, like someone calls her… On a stage populated by microphones, Laura tells her story in a scattered and violently poetical way.

Don’t expect the kind of Fringe storytelling that is close to stand-up comedy. High on the technical part, this show is much more immersive. Upon entering, all audience members are given a headset, through which the feeling of proximity with the actress is enhanced; it will become increasingly uncomfortable.

Beatrice Elena Festi’s performance is deeply compelling. Not a flinch is out of place, despite the intensity of the play and the constant proximity to mikes, that let us hear the slightest breath and every mouth click. It feels like a vigilance device, as if the actress were under a magnifying glass. But who is in control of this device?

From the technical booth, sounds and music are being mixed and played. They decide what we hear, obviously, but they also control the actress, her character, the way she tells her story. In this interplay of power relations, within the narrative but also in the physical space of the theatre, what role does a hypervigilant audience have?

Puttana, created and directed by Mirko Corradini (Compagnia TeatroE) is a very dense show that won’t leave anyone indifferent. And the music, by composer Michele Callà, is the catalyst that transforms the atmosphere of the performance.

I am left with a question: when does a device become an aesthetics? What happens then? It is a theoretical question, but it has practical consequences.

6^th – 31^st of August; 9.15 pm

Running time: 60 minutes

Venue: Summerhall

Tickets and Info: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/puttana

Company Website: https://www.compagniateatroe.it/teatro-adulti/puttana

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compagniateatroe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/TeatroE-compagnia-teatrale-100057144022806/