Oran Mor, Glasgow

Play, Pie, Pint

26th Sept – 1st October

Script:  Stagecraft:   Performance:  

Presented in association with the Traverse Theatre this weeks A  Play, A Pie and a Pint Breaking The Ice by Kieran Lynn is set in the Arctic and worth the watch. This topical  farcical tale of treacherous bribery and corruption will have you in stitches from the outset. Meet Frank (Steven McNicoll) who has arrived to give a speech at the Arctic Council conference and the various characters, (Jimmy Chisholm and Nicola Roy)  who between them play the hotel staff, an American marines, Russian delegate and a crazy weed selling shop worker and kidnaping duo. Never have I witnessed a door being used with such  comical  intent since Manwell and Basil got up to their shenanigans in Faulty towers.

This play has that level of humour mastery which comes with meticulous timing and funny accents. Chisholm transforms seamlessly  from stiff upper lip bureaucrat to Yorkshire activist, Sami police chief to Russian professor of philosophy partial to toilet breaks mid sentence. Sound designer Andy Cowan has done a fine job making all the onomatopoeia pitch perfect throughout. Lighting designers Ross Kirkland/Chris Reilly make believable snow with a spinning disco ball.

Frank, newly appointed Foreign and Commonwealth Office Chief Scientific Advisor to the Arctic Council is here to cover for the advisor struck down with ultra violet hepatitis – that’s technical jargon for snow blindness –  and delivers his speech in his dressing gown. But why does he only manage to deliver it to the hotel waitress rather than the world delegates? The answer to that is the very essence of the witty twisting plot that gets more and more bizarre as events unfold leaving you satisfied that you got more than your money’s worth of laughter from this gem of acting filled with an-acronyms that are so well written and performed you will find yourself howling at the daftness of human nature always trying to sound more intelligent and failing.

‘ I say, really that’s something isn’t it, almost makes me wish I was blind.’ pukka British delegate retorts to Frank’s obsession with his new tactile business cards. A superb offering that shouldn’t be missed.

Reviewer : Clare Crines

Scottish Storytelling Centre

Edinburgh

20th September

Script:  Stagecraft:    Performance: 

Citizen’s Theatre

Glasgow

14 Sep 2016 to 8 Oct 2016

Script:  Stagecraft:   Performance: 

The death of ecstasy-victim Leah Betts in late-1995 cast a gloomy shadow over substance abuse in the UK two decades ago. While the perils of party drugs distressed a scintilla proportion of the country, the perception of drug users, and substantially harder, more addictive narcotics, were counter-balanced by Irvine Welsh’s book ‘Trainspotting’ in 1993, Harry Gibson’s theatre production in 1994, and Danny Boyle’s film in 1996. This was to become one of the most vital stories narrated during the 1990s, studying the lives of four friends as they delve into the drug culture of Leith during the late 1980’s in an effort to escape from the hopeless world they find themselves living in.

Courtesy of Citizens Theatre itself, the lives of Mark Renton, Simon ‘Sickboy’ Williamson, Francis Begbie, and Danny ‘Spud’ Murphy returned to the hallowed main stage of Glasgow’s Citizen’s Theatre after a notable absence, guided at the wings by revered director Gareth Nicholls, whose previous productions include ‘Into That Darkness’ and ‘Blackbird’. In terms of both novel and picture, Trainspotting holds a place in the heart of most 30-somethings who badly wish to see every element of its reputation succeed, preserving its creditable stock and prolonging for future generations.

Reprising the roles made famous onscreen by the likes of Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle, tonight’s cast had the unenviable task of staying true to both book and picture, whilst also lending its own black humour into proceedings. Playing the lead as Renton was Lorn MacDonald, a tall, skinny, ranting sphere of machismo who required only twenty seconds before the first mention of drugs entered the fray during the opening interview sequence alongside Spud, played by Gavin Jon Wright. The youthful energy cascaded by both actors was a genial welcoming into a forbidden world, rousing the audience with the unmistakable twang served up by author Welsh. The grubby, insanitary stage was laid out for the introduction of Sickboy performed by Angus Miller, and Mother Superior played by Owen Whitelaw; the latter of which made a stunning appearance from the inside of a couch. It was Mother Superior, dressed in effeminate clothing and twirling around the stage which chiefly grabbed the eye, a large departure from Peter Mullen’s robust performance in the film, whilst serving up a homoerotic, scene-polluting number at the same time Alison, played by Chloe-Ann Tylor, Sickboy, Renton and Spud tightened the tourniquets around their arms in preparation for the first, slow junkie dance. The injection scenes are, as one should expect, fairly harrowing – an intelligent use of illumination and rumbling sounds flooding with the actors’ gasps and groans. This is no glorification of drugs, despite what the monologues ladled by Renton may have imposed upon the audience.

It is testament to author Welsh’s dramatic writing that frequently the highlights of the performance whittled down to the lone dialogues delivered by the cast, adopting narrator roles to the audience. From Sickboy’s gross attack on Shane the pitbull to Alison’s uterine lining complimenting a bowl of soup, the cast were at their foremost when the stage was reduced to a chair and a voice. That is not to dismiss the impact that a busy stage offered when a nightclub scene flooded with pulsing dancers alternated between standing, sitting, gyrating, and swaying, both in the foreground and in the background, during Renton’s first unsuspecting meet with schoolgirl Diane, also played by the talented, afore-mentioned Tylor. Having previously reviewed Tylor during a performance of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, I was privy to what a convincing actress the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduate can be, and there was no anti-climax tonight as she teased, toyed, and delivered a wicked temptress performance. Renton’s chameleon-personality simmered throughout this scene, flitting between politics and music in an effort to win Diane’s affections, while an animated bevvy of dancers maintained the youthful energy in front of a shrewd sex scene.

Dark comedy is etched throughout Trainspotting, glittering in the shadowed piss-soaked curtains while Spud regales a story of an unfortunate accident and Renton’s realisation that he has become a sex offender, but the tenebrosity of Alison’s baby Dawn’s cot death is an acutely distressing scene. These moments often allowed the cast to ignore their audience and concentrate on those under the dimmed lights, with Owen Whitelow’s turn as Mother Superior often more savage than his second role of the evening, the renowned Francis Begbie; none more so than when he rages with a black bin-bag intended for the deceased infant.

In his secondary role as the ill-fated Tommy, Angus Miller flits between his characters with an ease which enables the audience to establish which turn is being performed instantly, regardless of Tommy’s double-denim fashion being an obvious cursor. Although the nod to Tommy’s demise is clearly affiliated with the picture (in the book no such thing happens), director Gareth Nicholls remains faithful to scenes from Welsh’s initial written creation addressing Renton’s soldier brother and Begbie’s alcoholic father with a susceptivity which addresses a true representation of industrial working class people. Recently, producer Harry Gibson was quoted in The Herald saying “Trainspotting was a punk book and a punk play”, and this quality ebbs through the imagery, the dialogue, and the DIY ethos conjured by lead Renton’s ambitions, consistently putting himself first before friends or family. Whether it be the colourful pink lights and confetti cannons during Renton’s AIDS test or the tense, psychotic attempted murder of Renton by Begbie at Leith Central Station, the stage craft flowed with Welsh’s words, Gibson’s vision, and Boyle’s sensory depictions. Not forgetting the glorious compositions spun throughout the evening by Michael John McCarthy, webbing and weaving dialogue between sounds of horror and unbridled elation which captured each fitting mood, this was a truly triumphant return to the Citizen’s stage.

A special mention to Gavin Wright’s turn as the unfortunate but eternally-likeable Spud – every twitch, shuffle, facial expression and response was received with glee and captured everything and more that the audience have associated with the character. Preconceptions are a difficult thing to shake off but rest assured that this play will win you over and reignite your love for the film prior to the sequel which is due for release in early 2017. Choose life, choose Trainspotting at the Citizens.

Reviewer : Stephen Watt

The Rise and Inevitable Fall of Lucas Petit, by Andy McGregor, is just about to embark on a nationwide tour. Its creator, Andy McGregor, managed to squeeze out an extra few minutes from his hectic preparations for a cheeky interview with the Mumble;

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The Mumble – Hello Andrew – you must be excited about your forthcoming tour of Scotland with a certain Lucas Petit – but who is he?

Andy – Lucas is a downtrodden, middle-class man who has lost any zest for life that he once had. His wife hates him, he’s bored at his work and his only joyful experience is when he is alone and munching on a fudge donut from the B&Q cafe. The play focuses on him finding a briefcase that appears to have magical qualities. A stranger, who claims to be God, pushes him to take the case and, in doing so, Lucas starts to live a new life but (as keen observers will be aware if they have read the title of the show) ultimately it leads to his downfall. It’s like Macbeth. But with briefcases. And with words people can understand.

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The Mumble – Love 2.0 was a great success nationwide, will you be tapping into the same kind of vibe again

Andy – Very much so. We are keen to get those people who enjoyed Love 2.0 to come and check out this show and bring a pal or two. We’ve upped our ante this year with a top class production team and the play has a larger journey than Love 2.0 which was focused on two teenagers. This show is part cabaret and part caper, it never stops moving.

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The Mumble – I have heard that there is a certain cinematic undertow to Lucas Petit, could you elaborate on that

Andy – Sleeping Warrior’s ethos is to make shows that can only be theatre. So we have had a lot of fun in taking some stereotypical move ideas (such as a training montage) and seeing how we can make that work theatrically. Probably my favourite section of the show is based on the film Entrapment. Lucas has to make his way through a series of lasers to get to the alarm system – I think we’ve found really pleasing ways of achieving effects like this. If anyone has been to see The 39 Steps, then it’s a similar vibe to that. But with briefcases.

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The Mumble – So just like Love, this play is being funded by Creative Scotland again. How does the money help you get your playout there.

Andy – It would be impossible for us to tour this show without CS funding. I don’t think people realise exactly how much money it costs to put on even a small-scale show like ours. There are so many people involved in making a piece of theatre and the materials are so expensive, that financial support is always required to put something on.

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The Mumble – Can you tell us a little about your cast – have you worked with them before?

Andy – I worked with Darren Brownlie on my show Vinyl Idol (that I co-wrote with Debbie Hannan) that was on as part of the Play Pie and a Pint mini musicals season this summer. He is playing the questionable ‘deity’ and it’s a brilliant performance he turns in, showcasing all his singing, acting and dancing talents. I’ve never worked with Ashley Smith before and it’s been a great pleasure. She may be known to some people from her role in Scot’s Squad, she has to play numerous characters throughout and we have a lot of fun in seeing her change from one outrageous creation to another. And finally we have Lucas, who is played by Al Hankinson. He brings a real warmth and quirkiness to the character and can move his body in ways I’ve never seen a human move there body before! It’s a multi-talented cast who are working great together.

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The Mumble – So whats the future for Sleeping Warriors

Andy – Can’t really think about that just now! We need to keep ourselves focused on this show, try and get as many people to see it as possible and then I can start thinking about the future. Which won’t involve briefcases.

TOUR DATES

Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling Fri 16 & Sat 17 Sep

Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh Mon 19 & Tue 20 Sep

Eastwood Park Theatre, Giffnock         Wed 21 Sep

East Kilbride Arts Centre, East Kilbride Thu 22 Sep

Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock Fri 23 Sep

The Brunton, Musselburgh         Sat 24 Sep

Theatre Royal, Dumfries                 Mon 26 Sep

The Mill Theatre, Thurso                 Wed 28 Sep

Falkirk Town Hall, Falkirk         Wed 5 Oct

Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine         Thu 6 Oct

Aros, Skye                 Sat 8 Oct

Eden Court, Inverness         Sun 9 Oct

Tron Theatre, Glasgow         Wed 12 to Sat 15 Oct

A Play, A Pie and A Pint

Oran Mor

Sept 12th- 17th

Script:  Stagecraft:   Performance:  

The Letter, written by Stuart Paterson and directed by David Mackay, is a religious romp that concerns itself with stereotypical roles found within society at large but reflected in the antics of the three characters. Meet Deacon Orlov, sanctimonious and ever judgmental in his holier than now attitude to all and sundry : it is His way or the highway and he’ll take no prisoners. Contrasted with alcoholic  Father Anastasy who will chat to anyone for a vodka and Father Andrey wondering where his parenting skills failed him and we have a rather colourful insight into this letter writing trio. David Mackay stepped in to play Father Andrey last minute and was excellent in his portrayal of the bumbling indecisive deacon.

More smiles than guffaws, the farcical plot unravels at a pleasing adagio tempo to reach its climax which is surprising and unexpected but altogether welcomed. Deacon Orlov,  played by Laurie Ventry (Gangs of New york, Hector and River City), the rambunctious, self-righteous patriarch overseeing his minions is played with gusto and aplomb imparting his acerbic comments to the audience like an Andy Murray ace. Billy Riddoch (Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and Silent Scream ) was in top form , back for his third appearance in A Play,  A Pie and A Pint  since his first visit back in Season one in So Long Sleeping Beauty. He endearingly is delighted to be back in the real ‘ WEST END’. With thirty years acting and twenty directing, David Mackay’s ( My Name Is Joe, Ae Fond Farewell ) collective fifty years experience is a testament to the wealth of thespian talent Glasgow has to offer which we are lucky enough to be recipients of at Oran Mor .

Reviewer   :   Clare Crines

Theatre Royal, Glasgow

6th – 10th September 2016

Script:  Stagecraft:   Performance:

Rapture Theatre Company, proud to be Scottish, have adapted Shakespeare’s Hamlet to a contemporary Glaswegian backdrop and worked with John Byrne – our contemporary Shakespeare – on his adaptation of Checkhov’s Uncle Vanya which Byrne titled Uncle Varick set in 1960’s Scotland. With an intriguing backlog  I was excited and intrigued to be reviewing this rehash of the 2003 play Democracy written by Michael Frayn. Better known for his intelligent books The Tin Men (1965), The Russian Interpreter (1966)and Sweet Dreams(1973) Frayn, now in his eighties, has had flops and triumphs in his forays into theatre, Noises Off (1982) being his most acclaimed to date.

This slice of cold war espionage did not hook me in due to the banality of the acting and the monotony of costume. Ten white men in suits, all with impressive film and tv credits, struggled to keep the audiences attention. The long drawn out acts found the woman in the row in front of me falling asleep over two seats and I struggled hard not to follow in her footsteps. The problem here was the fact that I couldn’t empathise with the Stasi mole Gunther Guillaume (Neil Caple) who was in pursuit of his dry boss Chancellor Willy Brandt (Tom Hodgkins). The elusive Mischa that sent the workers into a state of fear didn’t work for me either , though that was entirely due to the fact that my dog shares that name.

Director Michael Emans’ regurgitation of  Michael Blakemore’s slick premier at The National Theatre in 2003 really is not worth the stamina needed to stay engaged. The colour of the evening was provided by the stage lights and the much needed interval. I’d give this a body-swerve if I were you.

Reviewer   :  Clare Crines

Oran Mor, Glasgow

September 5-10

Play / Pie / Pint

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Script:  Stagecraft:   Performance:

Morag Fullerton

Behind the Barrier is a meeting of two Scottish broadcasting heavyweights – & when the peroxide mind of Muriel Gray meets the dramaturgical ninja that is Morag Fullerton, then we should expect a production of some quality. Luckily, they did not disappoint, & as we stand behind the barrier watching two women watch spectating at a marathon, we enter a curious yet poignant world. Gray’s wit seeps out of every second line, but the retrospective scenes offer a completely different avatar of her genius. Julie & Pat are the two women; Julie a middle-age mother of three whose husband is running the marathon – somewhere between the Kenyans & the fancy dress, but definitely after the club runners – while Pat is a sporty young un.’

Each actress was excellent in her part, but I did notice a lack of chemistry between them on stage, which was this play’s only drawback. Otherwise, it is an excellent hour of theatrical entertainment – a parallelian play which keeps leaping about thro’ time, but not confusingly,  for there is a deftness to the timing of each leap. Gray’s chit-chatty comedy is brilliant throughout; bang-on at times – kids are only useful these days for changing fonts – cheeky at times, as when she described a ‘Pompeii in your pants,’ & her overall take on the situational play – stuck in a lift, soldiers in a trench kinda vibe – is refreshing. Yeah, a great start to this season’s PPP.

Reviewer : Damian Beeson Bullen

Script:  Stagecraft:   Performance:  

Dark Tales is a horror come thriller by Tim Arthur. Played out in a dark, upper level room of the Pleasance Courtyard with gladiatorial type seating, this was sure to be an eerie tale of jitters and scary moments.  With a well-crafted and realistic stage set, you can see that this is a production that has thought of it all. With brick walls, cabinets, library shelves of books,  a singular desk, and a few chairs scattered around, we are drawn into the murky world of Alex Crowley, a lecturer with an ambition to write chilling horror stories.  With Mr. Crowley as the main character he is soon put in his place by Lucy and Jack, two of his highly strung students. As the tale becomes unhinged the darker side of the three menacing characters is revealed …

The strong acting and convincing dialogue allows the viewer to become engulfed in the deceitful relationship between the characters. With the first quarter of the play setting the scene, the story becomes apparent…. Jealousy, lust, manipulation , love, anger, revenge and hatred are just a few of the stomach-churning emotions that are highlighted in Dark Tales. The fight for one women’s love soon drives the two bickering rivals to a duel of verbal insults. Like a balloon waiting to burst,  you become obsessed with anticipation as spooky music starts clawing its way across the backs of the audience. Sit tight and don’t move, even a twitch could be fatal…

The tension builds…  The voices get louder…  The insults become threats…  finally, with the truth at large, the three objectives become clear.  Hitting you head-on, like a deer in the headlights of your car, your are stunned and shocked as to what was about to happen..  Enchanting yet twisted, disturbing yet relieving, this is not a show for the faint-hearted.  The performance, delivery and execution of the acting was superb, grasping and holding the audiences attention the actors were a joy to watch.  With Crowley’s goal accomplished the tale comes to a dramatic and sinister end.  Never turn your back on your enemy or friends ?  Theatrical horror tales at its very best….

Reviewed by Raymond Speedie