Review: A World Apart

📍 theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Edinburgh Fringe)

🗓️ 18th August 2026

🎟️ PR Invite

Inspired by composer and lyricist Amelia Jutilane, A World Apart is a new musical brought to Edinburgh Fringe by Frog In A Pot Productions.

Kate (Samantha Lauren Martin) and Alice (Amelia Jutilane) have been best friends since childhood, but when Alice moves to the other side of the world, their lives change and the pair struggle to stay connected. Back in Perth, Kate seems to have it all — a husband, baby, house and dog — while Alice has moved to London and is living it up after following her dreams and moving to a city so much more exciting than her life in Australia. But are their lives really as perfect as they seem to one another?

A World Apart is a really interesting presentation of an extremely relatable topic. On the surface, it seems that both women are living their dream lives, but the truth is that they are both struggling — and neither is willing to admit it. Kate is struggling to adjust to motherhood, while Alice is dealing with loneliness, difficult house shares and dating disasters. They each look at the other’s life and see everything they wish they had, without really knowing what the other is going through. This comes through really naturally in the story and there’s a clear message here that we never really know what is going through another person’s mind.

The musical is performed by Jutilane and Martin, and the two work really well together. The chemistry between them comes through really well, while also capturing their own individual emotions. Kate’s uncertainty and fear about being a good wife and mother really comes through well, while Alice’s loneliness really comes to the fore despite her party lifestyle. There’s a lot of emotion throughout the performance, and you can really feel that as you sit there and watch their stories play out.

A World Apart is a musical, and I really enjoyed the original songs written for the show. Jutilane and Martin’s voices blend together beautifully during the duets, and the songs add another level of storytelling to the piece and bring out the emotion of the piece. I was also really impressed with the percussive, rhyming spoken work dotted throughout the performance.

The simple staging works well for the intimate nature of the story, with the stage split between the characters as they tell their own stories. I really found myself drawn in by this, as we’re able to see both sides of their lives at the same time and really see the contrast between them. 

After an emotional 30th birthday party, the piece ends really beautifully and shows the true strength of their friendship. This moment is incredibly emotional and I did find myself tearing up at how well written this was. It felt like a really intimate moment that brought the piece to a conclusion well. 

A World Apart is a heartwarming, raw, relatable piece of theatre that reminds you that - deep down you never truly know what a person may be going through.

With strong performances, beautiful songs and some really impressive rhyming spoken word, this show really makes you want to call up your friends straight after.

A World Apart continues its run at theSpace @ Symposium Hall until 29 August at 11:45am.