THEATRE | Previews & Reviews
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NEW WRITING NESTS Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 7 & Sat 8 Sep; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 13–Sat 15 Sep; then touring
Nests straddles the divide between the magical and realistic: following the adventures of an alienated young boy and his crow, it is inspired by playwright Xana Marwick’s work with young people. ‘I hope it's not just a discussion of the excluded but with the excluded,’ she comments. ‘One of our aims is to attract an audience from all walks of life, from people who are living the experiences we present, to people who are in a position to make a difference.’ ‘Xana has written a poignant script that celebrates the strength of young people,’ adds director Heather Fulton. ‘What I love most about the boy is his ability to see through the crap; to experience beauty and vulnerability in unexpected places. it’s hard to watch in places but also beautiful, moving, funny and hopeful.’
Marwick adds: ‘I think there is a real lack of
representation of “the educated poor”. People make so many assumptions about poverty and class that if someone is well read or bright, some find it hard to equate that that person might also be working class or living in poverty. I wanted to try and challenge that, to show that you can have slipped through the net, been neglected, lost, bullied, but you still might be the most curious, bright kid on the block.’ (Gareth K Vile)
SATIRE LET’S INHERIT THE EARTH Touring across Scotland through Oct & Nov. Reviewed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe ●●●●●
A well-meaning satire on climate change denial, Let’s Inherit the Earth is an old-fashioned piece of agit-prop that mixes angry songs with two contrasting stories on the consequences of global warming. While the rich blame fake news, a group of survivors battle the environment in a world stripped of humans. The songs add angry commentary to the dwindling resources and the characters’ accommodation to the new circumstances that suit cockroaches and turtles better than people. The broad comedy – being a co-production
between a Swedish and a Scottish company, the humour is split between Caledonian and Scandinavian jabs – turns Let’s Inherit into a romp, with the anger dissolving into funny episodes that are light on information. The pessimistic message is undermined by the comedy, and there is never a sense of engagement with the nuances of environmentalism.
The script and dramaturgy hark back to the political ceilidh play format of 7:84, and the broad caricatures mock the naivety of the characters, leaving the sometimes jaunty playfulness of the exchanges uncomfortable against the seriousness of the message. (Gareth K Vile)
NEW WRITING SOUTH BEND Paisley Arts Centre, Tue 4 Sep; Cumbernauld Theatre, Fri 14 & Sat 15 Sep; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 19–Sat 22 Sep. Reviewed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe ●●●●●
From the moment performer and writer Martin McCormick steps onto the stage and begins to tell his break-up story, most of the audience has already decided they're on his side. His character is one of those rare, loveable adolescents, who you can't help but sympathise with as he falls in and out of love for the first time. His trip to the US in search of his beloved, however, takes an intriguing turn.
McCormick switches seamlessly between
narration and portraying his younger self, while Jess Chanliau does well to act every other character, from McCormick's disturbed girlfriend to her neurotic mother. This is all underscored by live foley artist David Pollock, who’s so good you don't really notice him until McCormick sends a hilarious torrent of abuse his way. Grid Iron clearly had a lot of fun with this piece but there are a few poignant moments too. This unpretentious play immerses its audience in the nostalgia of young love and the early noughties and they only resurface as the fasten seatbelt sign is switched off and McCormick lands safely back on Scottish soil. (Clare McVay)
NEW WRITING SCOTTIES Tron Theatre, Glasgow Thu 13–Sat 15 Sep; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 27–Sat 29 Sep; and touring Scotland throughout Sep
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Starting with the tragic deaths of migrant workers in Kirkintilloch in 1937, Scotties is a collaboration between writers Francis Poet and Muireann Kelly, co-commissioned by the National Theatre of Scotland and Theatre Gu Leòr. It features four languages and considers the dangers of not passing down heritage between generations. ‘We view the tragedy through the lens of a
young Glasgow lad today,’ Kelly explains. ‘The young Irish tattie howkers from Achill Island who lost their lives were all about the same ages as this lad. This connection becomes more relevant when you consider what happened to the plaque with the names of the boys lost in the bothy fire. Erected at the site of the tragedy, it was vandalised: the fear and hatred of outsiders is still part of what a young Glasgow lad might learn today. He faces challenges affecting all the generations in his family once we start to discover and learn about [them].’
Yet in its very process of creation, Scotties shows how embracing diverse cultures – represented by the four languages used – has its own communicative and artistic power. ‘We celebrate the pride and joy people have in the connections between their cultures,’ Kelly explains, ‘with live music, song and dance.’ (Gareth K Vile)
92 THE LIST 1 Sep–31 Oct 2018