This Guardian review covers Spin Cycle, a queer romcom staged at Underbelly Bristo Square as part of the Edinburgh festival 2026. Written by Zofia Zerphy, who also stars, the Offie award-winning play follows a chance encounter between two strangers in a launderette, exploring what people hold onto after a relationship ends and whether forgetting mistakes can be a mercy. The reviewer praises the strong chemistry between the two leads but finds the play's structure ultimately unconvincing.

The action unfolds in real time, framed by a washing machine's 50-minute cycle, as Kitt (Zerphy), a wealthy, confident American, and Noel (Rhiannon Bell), a messier, Northern Irish non-binary character, flirt and bicker while doing their laundry. Directed by Bethan Rose, the pair gradually reveal that their pasts are eerily intertwined, and the piece incorporates a memory-loss device that creates intrigue but is never properly explained, leaving the central mystery feeling unresolved despite the palpable attraction between the characters. The show runs at Underbelly, Bristo Square, Edinburgh, until 31 August.