Derek Mitchell steps on stage in a quintessential early-2000s emo-kid outfit: eyeliner, choppy black wig, long-sleeve striped shirt under a black-skull t-shirt, and skinny jeans. Welcome back to high school, where Eliot faces all the angst of puberty and the pressure to fit into the status quo. In a room full of ‘goblins’, no audience member is safe as Mitchell commands the space with piercing eye contact, intensity, and emotion, calling upon even those in the back row.

With masterful voice work and physicality, Mitchell embodies a host of characters: teachers, classmates, friends, parents, and Eliot’s ex, former reality TV star Max. While Goblin opens with a slow build, loitering in bawdy, below-the-belt teenage humour (complete with dick jokes), the second act delivers surprising depth as Eliot grows up, navigating a toxic relationship with the dodgy yet magnetic Max.

At its core, Goblin is about a queer man finding his place in the world, confronting religious trauma, friendship, family dynamics and unhealthy love. Through sharp, dark wit, Mitchell draws both laughter and frustration, the kind you feel watching a friend make choices you understand but wish they wouldn’t. Masterfully performed, skillfully written, and passionately delivered, Goblin is as painfully honest as it is uproariously funny. 

Derek Mitchell: Goblin, Summerhall, until 24 August, 9.50pm; main picture: Dylan Woodley.