2015MISSSAR_O7An estranged father, an aunt trying to hold it together and a lost girl looking for her friend. In deepest Australia, she hitches exactly the kind of dodgy lift with a trucker we are all vehemently warned against in school, and this story slowly unravels.

There was an incident about a year ago, at a festival, two best friends went missing.  We get occasional flashes of what happened – police interview recordings, and at the start some burnt out fairy wings are removed from what feels like a crime scene by slow moving, heavy breathing officials in protective clothing and masks. Fairy wings quite like the ones this girl has strapped to her backpack.

The simple but effective staging creates a cold, eerie atmosphere and as the story goes on we realise there are many unresolved strands to fall out of this incident. Why were these two girls at this festival in the first place? What does the Dad have to do with it all? Where is Sarah?

The truth trickles out bit by bit, as we piece together what went on, and we also get a window into each character’s specific motivations, faults and histories. It suggests that the difference between good and bad is not necessarily straightforward. There are very good performances across the board, and writer Ella Cook has a knack for written characters.

The well-crafted characters are the best aspect of this piece. The play ends so abruptly, however, I’m not sure what this story itself is trying to do. Warn against stranger danger?  We get a snapshot into these characters lives – their histories and their mistakes, but just a snapshot. It only goes skin deep. Miss Sarah is a great picture of people and manipulation, but the plot itself is a bit thin.

Miss Sarah is playing at ZOO  (Venue 124) from 19-23, 25-31 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. For more information, visit the festival website.