Courtney Büchner is here to tell us a love story. Not the type you're thinking of – even though she has just married her partner, Maddy. This rollercoaster platonic relationship is with Stella, the girl she met at school shortly after moving from South Africa to the UK. It is a sweet, nostalgia-fuelled tale, but one that at times feels too slight to sustain an hour.
It wasn't quite love at first sight, but Stella quickly became Büchner's ride or die. Together they danced for their lives on sticky-floored club nights, saw each other through their first kisses and GCSE results, and told each other they were the most beautiful woman in the world. Still, we can sense early on that this might not be a happily ever after. When Büchner comes out as a lesbian to Stella and introduces Maddy into their lives, things start to become a little more complicated.
But before we get to all that, Büchner has got to get the room onside. “I'm Courtney – what's your favourite colour?†she asks several audience members before encouraging us all to join her for a karaoke session. Tonight, we are her closest confidants, and Büchner builds the vibe of a teenage sleepover. “I have exciting news,†she giggles – and we wait eagerly to be brought into her fold. Although the show is more of a good time than a laugh riot, it is a pleasure to hear her wisdom on the state of adult female friendships and our desperation to cling on to the past.
In an aptly titled show, Büchner revels in retelling embarrassing stories and spending just a tad too long lurking on Instagram profiles she shouldn't. Even the audience isn't immune to her digital snooping. She paints a vivid, messy picture of teenage girls' minds and how little bits of their thinking lurk their way into adulthood.
There's real heartbreak, too – which those of us who have ever drifted from a close friend will feel in our guts. It's not a show that will surprise you in either form or narrative, but Büchner is a magnetic, conversational storyteller, sure to keep you hooked.
At Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until 31 August
