Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Low Down
Paldem is such an engaging slice-of-life that it will carry you along for some time before you notice its lack of central focus. Strong performances and clever dialogue make this drama enjoyable to watch, but story alterations are needed to make it great.
Review
Sometimes, when exes hook up again, it can lead to something. In Paldem, when artsy young Londoners Kevin (Michael Workeye) and Megan (Natasha Cowley) renew their carnal acquaintance, what it leads to is 112,000 views on a porn site and a top-trending spot on “interracial.”
The two don’t set out to become adult performers, but, when Megan watches back the footage of their accidentally-filmed encounter, she’s struck by two thoughts in quick succession: their good looks together, and their commercial potential. The pair continue their lucrative enterprise, amusingly and effectively fast-forwarded through a dildo-studded montage, culminating in their first tentative attempt at a foursome.
This is all very watchable – less for the sexiness, which feels a little sterile; the couple remark at length on their chemistry, but this does not come through – than for the strong performances. Cowley, especially, is adept at wordlessly conveying the determination of an entrepreneur experiencing doubts about what she’s signed on for, before redoubling her resolve.
At this point in the story, one might expect consequences or conflict to arise from the couple’s casual foray into sex work. No issues do, which is a refreshing perspective in itself: Megan’s biggest moment of horror from the group sex is her realization that cheese isn’t vegan.
Still, this equanimity toward its likeliest source of dramatic interest leaves the story without vital elements. The pair bicker over business and their ambiguous emotional relationship, but neither character is sufficiently well-rounded for the stakes to be compelling. In the final few minutes of the drama, a vertiginous plunge into an argument over race-related issues – which are absent before that point – is simply baffling and jarring.
Major elements of this production are solid and engaging. In addition to professional performances, Paldem offers fresh, naturalistic writing. Although the story itself contains flaws that need addressing, the dialogue contains clever lines that efficiently embed the characters in their hip London milieu, even if it isn’t quite able to carve out specific individual identities for them. Some small changes to the through-line could go a long way to establishing a context for the relationship and inviting the audience to be more invested in its resolution.
