I Made You a Mixtape review – frothy fringe fun as dorm mates party like it’s 1999
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- Response Theatre Company presents "I Made You a Mixtape," directed by Christie Lee Manning, at theSpace Triplex, Edinburgh, running until 29 August
- Director Christie Lee Manning frames the piece as "not a play, not a musical, not (really) a dance show," though it consists almost entirely of dance, plus hand-written captions
- The show is set at a 1990s North American college dorm party with nine girls, powered by a pop-punk and alt-rock soundtrack featuring Blink-182, No Doubt, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus live drums and guitar
- Each of the nine performers carries a distinct physical signature — Latin dance, waacking, hip-hop, and MTV-style choreography — that the reviewer reads as a portrait of female friendship
- Nostalgic props anchor the staging: a camcorder, cassette tapes, a Friends board game, Sporty Spice's wardrobe, and a bottle of Dr Pepper on the snack table
- The reviewer praises the giddy, infectious energy but flags a "real missed opportunity" to develop the characters' emotional lives beyond the party atmosphere
Why it matters: For Edinburgh Fringe audiences choosing between dozens of dance-theatre offerings, this review signals a high-energy, visually playful piece that delivers on nostalgic fun but stops short of emotional depth — leaving potential ticket buyers to weigh froth over feeling.
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