Amelia Rodger’s two-woman play sensitively captures the socially enshrined catch-22 of a woman’s decision to have or not to have children. On one side is Atlanta, a cold-hearted career-woman more inclined to the rearing of cats than babies. On the other is Eris, the over-sensitive nurturer who feels most at home in her body with a fake bump stuffed under her top. It takes a surprise pregnancy for both women to realise the nebulousness of a question they had presumed to be as simple as the career vs motherhood dichotomy supposes. Is Atlanta selfish for not wanting kids? Is Eris a bad feminist if she does? That the play convincingly tackles these questions in under an hour is a testament to the astuteness of Rodger’s characters.

At times, the play’s politics seem laid on too thick for a Fringe audience. Atlanta’s dutiful efforts to ‘educate’ Eris about Audre Lorde, abusive relationships and a woman’s right to choose, come across as mildly condescending when preached before an audience that’s already been converted. Though these topics bear rehashing, the fast-paced scenes leave little time for the kind of emotional investment that might better communicate the continued relevance and power of Rodger’s writing. 

Jumper Bumps, Gilded Balloon Appleton Tower, until 24 August, 4.20pm; main picture: Ella Hallgren.