Molly Naylor and the Middle Ones: My Robot Heart

A complete lack of robots is just about the only disappointment in this charming storytelling show which turns the whimsy up to 11.

The magnetic Molly Naylor precedes her tall tales with an explanation of their genesis: a period of her life when she was miserable after dumping her boyfriend. She returns to her personal story throughout the show, musically accompanied by two-piece indie twee band The Middle Ones.

Naylor describes the three main characters in the overlapping tales as imaginary robots created by her to run the programme of love – something science has shown to last only around 18 months. It’s a slightly clunky conceit which is the only weak link in the entire monologue. She draws parallels between her imaginary automatons and a robot designed by a Japanese scientist to experience love which was scrapped after it behaved “illogically.” It’s an irony not wasted on Naylor.

The three interlocking stories introduce a young woman facing uncertainty on the eve of her wedding, her younger step-brother who has to choose between popularity and morality, and her wayward father who left his wife “for the love of Glasgow’s folk music scene.”

It’s all wonderful, lyrical stuff, which effortlessly includes more than enough decent jokes to keep the momentum going. The affectionate interplay between the performer and her musicians is a particular comedic highlight.

The combination of the live music and Naylor’s playful delivery draws the audience into the world of robotic hearts so completely that the hour passes with something close to indecent haste.