The firmly on-trend Nuclear Children treats us to the familiar story of a quirky, depressed girl struggling with grief and relationships. It may have been done before, but Nuclear Children more than holds its own against giants such as Fleabag (itself a former Fringe show) and Broad City.

This one-person play owes much of its success to the easy intimacy that Ezra England establishes with the audience in their role as Isla, a young student coping with her father’s death. Isla recounts her hilarious and embarrassing exploits, occasionally slipping from narration into dialogue. Her impressions of the other characters paint such a picture that it becomes easy to forget that there’s only one actor involved.

Nuclear Children is a lot more than just an offbeat confessional, though. While the script is a perfect mix of witty and self-deprecating, grief is at the show’s core, and as it continues we are subtly shown just how much Isla is suffering. The shift in tone from cutesy to serious is very well-handled, and the ultimate resolution of Isla’s story is told artfully. Nuclear Children is a heartfelt and tender depiction of loss and familial complexity that’s well worth seeing. 

Nuclear Children, Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 2.05pm.