There are plenty of solos shows at the Fringe but Smita Russell manages to transcend the format’s limitations by ranging across mythology, mathematics and personal anguish. Beginning with a reflection on the opacity of Greek myth before describing her struggles to give birth, Russell testifies to the power of storytelling to make sense of a universe that appears to be empty of meaning and even hostile. The weaving together of various strands is masterful and measured, darting between appointments with the hospital and reflections on probability. The cruelness of biology is contrasted with the redemption found in an act of storytelling; unlike many Fringe monologues, this script is rooted in storytelling traditions.

While the details of Russell’s pregnancies are harrowing and heart-rending, her ready wit leavens the anguish. With an eye for the absurd and an attention to detail, Russell turns to mathematics to account for the improbabilities of her biology. She unsparingly describes the pain of losing a child before descending into a mania of research. Her narrative arcs follows the process of her own attempts to understand, finally bringing her tale into the now and revealing that her very presence in the room is witness to her process of grieving and healing. 

Odds Are, Assembly Roxy, until 25 August, 2.55pm; main picture: Giulia Ferrando.