by Zahid Fayyaz

This is a debut, solo performance looking at the attempts by the titular Ace to woo the object of her school affections, Sasha. The show is mainly set in a nightclub, epitomised by Ace (played excellently by Tiffany Marina Pearmund) walking amongst the crowd and with nightclub music playing over the speakers.

At just over 45 minutes, this piece doesn’t overstay its welcome, but still packs a lot into its running time. It’s well-acted with a lot of heart, looking at asexuality and the issues of growing up in a repressive household both sympathetically and with humour. The jokes around Doctor Who and Ace’s general lack of understanding of club culture land very well, and Pearmund plays Ace as a very likeable person. The opening scene in the sex education class isn’t 100% effective due to technical issues, unfortunately. However, the writing is generally whip-smart and makes for a highly entertaining show. Pearmund’s depiction of the supporting characters in particular are vivid and make the play seem larger than it actually is.

It may need a little work to further flesh it out, but this is already a funny and assured piece of theatre, and well worth watching, either at its remaining performances at the festival, or any future runs it deserves to have.

That’s Ace runs through 17 March.

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