A Play A Pie And A Pint

Oran Mor, Glasgow

Oct5^th-10^th

This play written, by Cathy Forde and directed by Stephen Darcy, was inspired by the activities of a charity called Mary’s Meals, a global movement which began in Scotland with the aim of providing school feeding projects to children in some of the world’s poorest countries.  Gerry (Alan McHugh), a wise-cracking world-weary handyman is preparing the school ”cubby hole” for Susan (Teri Ann Bobb-Baxter) a teaching assistant from Blantyre- not the one near Glasgow, but Malawi-to set up a presentation on her home country for the school’s pupils. Over the first few minutes of the play the two discover an affinity through music. Gerry is the star of his pub quiz team when it comes to pre- One Direction music and it turns out that Susan as Lady Susan is a part time DJ hoping to hit the big time.

Susan is the One In A Million of the plays’ title as she was one of the first recipients of a school feeding programme in Malawi in 2002 which now manages to feed over a million children world-wide. The play, through often very humourous exchanges between Gerry and Susan, manages to put it’s point over without becoming overly sentimental or strident.

The portrayal of the two quickly becoming friends with unexpected common interests was both moving and believable thanks to some excellent acting and the direction kept things moving over the piece. Well worth going to see and an eye-opener to the activities of a very worthwhile charity. THREE STARS

Reviewer : Dave Ivens