one4review | On 25, Aug 2026

“I am Snail” is a business workshop, run by a snail for you guessed it – evil people.

Nora Dell slides along the aisle, greeting us all individually as she gastropods her way to the stage.

There’s just an energy that this will be fun, and by gosh, it is! We’re all already giggling. However, she’s not here for fun; she’s here to do two things: be evil and teach business strategy. Business lesson one: it’s okay to forget something. You can remember it later.

Jones gets everyone onside, improvising around some of the goofiest set pieces. The cobblestones are too high in Edinburgh; her slime is a biochemical hazard. Shouldn’t every corporate workshop begin with a song?

Snail asks individually (yes) whether we are seeking platonic or romantic love before attempting to generate synergy between us.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” She demands, then goofily laughs and says, “Did I mention…” “This is a workshop for evil people.”It’s okay to forget things – did you all forget lesson one?”

From our answers, Snail builds profiles and fun relationships with individual audience members.

Audience member Elizabeth is distilled down to someone who hates horses and wants a platonic relationship. A masterclass in silliness, you can really narrow people options with either/or statements.

These details become material for an increasingly funny, incredibly small-business experiment in “synergy.”

Being a clown is about a non-stop relationship with whoever is in the room. Dell has everyone giggling and shaking with laughter (one guy is losing his mind yelling—I feel this was too much). This is weird, silly, and very much fringe fun.

Our workshop culminates in a one-person show for a single audience member.

Anyone caught looking is “punished” , with Snail constantly apologizing to the person for whom the performance is supposedly being given – by this point in the show genuinely the room has gone mad – there’s more laughter than i thought this many people could create.

The audience is joyful, Dell is completely committed and breaks laughing throughout. This “business workshop” ends with us cheering as we watch a snail slither out.

There’s a truly fun show here, and the set pieces, although loose, certainly worked well today, with what is a supportive audience. For colder audiences, Dell will need to dig deeper into that charm and firm up material that can’t fail – if she wants full rooms and bigger venues.

But she’s clearly making this room (quarter full) laugh. No mean feat. A truly joyful clown extravaganza for people with imagination who love fun.

I don’t think you even have to be evil to get a ticket?

****

Reviewed by Stephen “Sharpie” Sharp
Just the Tonic – Caves
Until 30 August
13.20 (45 mins)