one4review | On 10, Aug 2026

Electra Kolb’s Father, away she goes returns to Edinburgh Fringe and the fairly small but cosy venue hosts this intimate show. With limited props, it’s all eyes on the performer as she takes centre stage, meet Sarah Jones.
Sarah Jones left the family home some time ago, she has a distant relationship with her mum and doesn’t say much about dad. She attends an all-girls school and is an artist who is desperate to get into Art school, her passion for art is there for all to see, it’s her sanctuary and escapism from life’s annoyances. Her best friend is Jazz and after a bad experience at charity work at the age of 8, she now lives in Jazz’s sisters vacated bedroom. After several failed art school applications, she decides to take a gap year so she can reset.
At this point, you get a sense that Sarah is close to having some sort of break down, as she describes some events in her life at a manic pace that is hard to keep up with at times, she jumps from one situation to another and all the time it’s a world of negativity with nothing positive to be happy about. Her relationship with Jazz becomes strained which is difficult considering she stays with her but Sarah has no means to stay anywhere else.
There is a brief but subtle moment when Sarah alludes to having a therapist and at the time you think well that explains it, she obviously has some sort of mental illness and that explains her manic behaviour, or does it? She goes on a trip to London and almost ends up being charged for an offence, however, her teacher cleverly manages to get her out of it and its lesson learned for Sarah! She returns to the easel and draws a picture but is soon given an ultimatum to move out and her mum asks her to come home, but why is home the last place she wants to go?
Up to this point the atmosphere was humorous with the audience enjoying frequent laughs at Sarah’s antics and facial expressions. The show then suddenly takes a dark turn which completely stuns the audience, no one seen it coming. Kolb’s portrayal of Sarah is shockingly amazing, her performance is emotionally raw and heartbreaking as she describes a numbing moment in her life, the audience were sitting in an awe of stunned silence. Sarah’s life then becomes a car crash, literally and her mum wants her to come home, but it’s not the car crash that upsets Sarah the most and her mum seems oblivious to it all. Just when everything seems hopeless, finally Sarah receives some much-needed positive news to conclude the show.
This show has you wondering what the hell is going on but the ending pulls it all together. Kolb’s performance was mesmerizingly beautiful and deserves a lot of credit.

****1/2
Reviewed by Steve J
Zoo Playground 1,
Until 30th August (not 19th or 26th)
16:30 (1 hour)