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list.co.uk/theatre Previews & Reviews | THEATRE
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REVIEW NEW WRITING THE CAROUSEL ●●●●● Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 29 & Sat 30 Aug. Reviewed at Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh PREVIEW MURDER MYSTERY THE MOUSETRAP Theatre Royal, Glasgow Mon 15–Fri 19 Sep
Stellar Quines’ production of The List at the Fringe in 2012 was a quiet sensation. Its success was thanks to the quality of the writing by French- Canadian playwright Jennifer Tremblay, and for the team brought together by Muriel Romanes, including Maureen Beattie as the sole performer and John Byrne as designer. The second play in Tremblay’s trilogy unites the same team but, where The List was a masterpiece of restraint, The Carousel is a spinning torrent of language, characters and emotions.
As the protagonist (the same woman as in The List) drives to her dying
mother’s bedside, her mind explores her relationships with her grandmother, her mother, her own children. Scenes shift at lightning speed between past and present, populated by an ever-expanding group of characters and intense events which make this carousel feel more like a rollercoaster. It’s a testament to Beattie’s considerable skill and Romanes’ deft direction that we keep pace – most of the time, while Byrne’s beautiful hand-painted backdrop acts as an anchor, picking out key images from the story. But in a play haunted by losses and absences, at its heart is a presence: the protagonist’s unquestioning journey to be with her dying mother, and the powerful driving forces of love between the generations. (Susan Mansfield)
As British as changeable weather, withering sarcasm and a nice cup of tea, Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit The Mousetrap is still the longest-running play in the world. Having opened in theatres in 1952, it's been translated into over 50 languages. And while the cast has gone through 419 actors, the secret of the murderer has remained hidden in the hearts of the audience.
Proving the ultimate ‘tale with a twist’ never dates, this play has the
distinction of a Guinness World Record for its incredible longevity, surpassing even Christie’s expectations. Previous actors in its stellar cast include Richard Attenborough, Julie Walters, Patrick Stewart and Stephanie Cole. This time, performers from the West End production will be taking the show
on tour. Luke Jenkins is Sergeant Trotter and Henry Luxemburg and Helen Clapp return as the uppity newlywed hotel owners Giles and Mollie Ralston, in whose hotel the action takes place.
The set-up is typical Christie: when the guests are stranded in a salubrious hotel due to a snowdrift, and a woman’s body discovered, every other person could be a suspect. But the killer may not be all that they seem.
Scurry, scamper or run to see this production. But remember to avoid
spoilers and don’t ‘squeak’ – there must be someone left who has never seen it. (Lorna Irvine)
PREVIEW POLITICAL REVIVAL IN TIME O’ STRIFE Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 9–Sat 13 Sep
Set in the 1920s, and highlighting the struggles of Fife miners against poverty and social injustice, In Time O’ Strife is a neglected Scottish classic. Director Graham McLaren’s enthusiasm for his adaptation of Joe Corrie’s tale of striking miners is immediately evident. ‘I love this show: I love every minute of making it,’ he says. ‘I love working with the live musicians and the subject matter. I love that we are giving voice to an artist who, in his own lifetime, was denied that voice by the theatre establishment.’ In Time O’ Strife is not a play blessed by revivals, and
McLaren has expanded the script with Corrie’s other writings, lending the performance a sense of the context of both Corrie’s life and politics. And, as McLaren notes, Corrie was excluded. ‘He would say he was politically out of step: which he was. His work was too socialist, too Bolshevik,’ McLaren continues. Fortunately, after the rise and fall of later politically engaged companies like John McGrath's 7:84, the climate has changed. McLaren’s vision of In Time O’ Strife follows a traditional, yet experimental format. Adding music to the mix, he recalls iconic plays such as The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil. ‘Form and content go hand in hand. It is not accidental that
the landmark shows made in Scotland have had a political content and a popular form – that ceilidh form. This mix is something we do very well in Scotland.’ With the support of the National Theatre of Scotland,
McLaren is able to realise his vision on a grand scale. The charged content might refer to an earlier depression, but the resonance is quite clear for contemporary society. By placing big ideas into a form that can include music and dance, McLaren is taking theatre on a tour across the country and helping to define the nation’s conversations. (Gareth K Vile)
21 Aug–18 Sep 2014 THE LIST 85
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