Desperately funny and blisteringly acted

Holed up in a grimy London flat, Irishman Dinny and his two sons begin each day with the bizarre ritual of 'staging' a story from their past. So far, so Beckett. But playwright Enda Walsh (Disco Pigs) ups the ante by dressing up the tragicomic tale as farce.

All of it is desperately funny and manic - until real life breaks through the fourth wall, shedding its light on the fear and desperation that drives their fantasy and solitary confinement.

Walsh brings a light touch to his play within the play but the tragedy of a father who has chosen to cut himself and his sons off from the real world is heartbreaking.

As for the acting trophy they 'compete' for, the blistering talents of Denis Conway as Dinny, and Tadgh Murphy and Garrett Lombard as the sons make them all deserving of it.

Until Aug 26 (not Aug 13 or 20), Traverse Theatre, times vary, £5 to £16. www.traverse.co.uk

The Walworth Farce
Traverse, Edinburgh Fringe