A Play, A Pie and A Pint
Oran Mor, Glasgow
Sept 18-24

Script:  Stagecraft:  Performance: 

With sexual ambiguity and sharp dialogue, there are shades of Orton in this black comedy by Ian Cowell. Suburban couple Peter (George Drennan) and Grace (Anne Lacey) have been together for over 40 years and are at that intuitive plateau where words are not needed. If he taps his empty glass rapidly, the little lady knows it’s time to put down her knitting, fetch the malt and serve him another whisky. What could be more normal? Perhaps the longevity of their relationship is cemented by a hobby they share, even though it does tend to leave a bit of a mess in the darkness of the wine cellar and some digging to be done in the garden.

Once again they’re looking for a new tenant for the spare room and when a mysterious, handsome young man appears, keen to rent the space, the new lodger (Matthew Tomlinson) arouses the interest of Grace… and Peter. Drennan and Lacey are subtly convincing as the staid domestic couple about to have an additional layer of weirdness added to their already strange life by Tomlinson’s lively, double-dealing interloper. A mention should be given to Andy McGregor’s direction, which contrasts the early sedate sufficiency of the couple with the parlour game chaos of the trio at the end, a treat to watch throughout.

Reviewer : David G Moffat