are you lonesomeCrystals, signs of the Zodiac, the alignment of planets or whatever other methods superstitious people use to determine the order in which they open boxes in Deal Or No Deal are obviously complete, utter nonsense. When the audience in Ellie Stamp’s show is asked to add together the digits in their date of birth to find out what ‘life number’ they are, between 1 and 9, it is disappointing. Disappointing that a piece of theatre which is attempting to say something serious about mental health is resorting to such cheap gullibility. But Stamp knows what she is doing. The numbers are a ruse.

Stamp may or may not be the secret love child of Elvis Presley. She puts forward a convincing case. Elvis was obsessed with numerology. Then again, maybe she is just insane, as she claims in Elvis’s own words. What Stamp believes about herself and her relationship to Elvis is just as important as what people believe about her, too. We are all asked to write down what we are to other people and the notecards are collected up. They are redeployed in a poignant finale.

Nestling herself in the audience to talk with us, not at us, she is friendly and smiley, and creates a rare feeling of community in the small audience. It feels relaxed, the audience is experiencing the show together, not as individuals. Still sitting among us she breaks into a crystal clear rendition of I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You, her vibrato shimmering right next to our ears.

But beyond the beautiful moments there is a shambolic quality to the show, often intentional and sometimes not. In a rambling, scatty, multimedia way Stamp offers her thoughts on the slippery boundaries between imagination and delusion. And the ending, when the disparate components of the show start to come together, is heartrending. Her combination of fantasy and candour, of games and songs, her closeness to the audience offer a touching reflection on the simplicity of the chemical reactions that control our complex, fragile minds.

Are You Lonesome Tonight is at Summerhall (Venue 26) until 22 August (not every day). For more information and tickets visit the EdFringe website.