Blog re-fresh/downtime

We're working on a long overdue redesign of the site and hope to apply the new look shortly. As part of the testing/update process there may be some downtime for the site over the next couple of weekends - 8th/9th and 15th/16th January. There's also the possibility of elements of the site 'breaking' or looking a bit strange between now and when the new look goes live.

We'll try to keep any interruptions to a minimum, but apologies for any inconvenience.

Spring 2011 Preview

Lazy post-New Year days in the house are ideal for looking ahead at theatres' 2011 seasons. We've already received some programmes in the post and most now have details of their shows online. Details are pretty sparse, so there will be other productions that attract our attention nearer the time if a cast seems particularly strong, but we think this will be fairly close to what we actually see this Spring.

January looks like a quiet month for us, but The Tron gets us up and running in February with a couple of shows. "Staircase" would have been on our list anyway but the fact that it features Benny Young and Tron artistic director Andy Arnold certainly elevates our level of interest. Random Accomplice's "Smalltown" is not only credited with three writers - DC Jackson, Douglas Maxwell and Johnny McKnight, but it also allows its audience to choose an ending for the show. We think it may turn out to be one of the highlights of the year - either that or an unmitigated disaster. In March "The Belief Project" sounds a little on the serious side but we don't mind getting a bit philosophical now and again. Waldorf is keen to see "Age of Arousal" from Stellar Quines but I need a little more convincing. But there's no persuasion required for Gregory Burke's "Gagarin Way" which Rapture Theatre are touring - the play has a strong reputation and Rapture have repeatedly shown an ability to put together fantastic casts for their shows.
Click for full details of the Tron's Spring Season.

Across the Clyde at the Citizens their co-production with the Lyceum about Marilyn Monroe doesn't really appeal, so our visits there won't really kick in until March. NTS Reveal brings a set of new works (including rehearsed readings) but we found it quite tricky to work out all the combinations of the individual plays - we've settled on a double bill of "Love Letters to the Public Transport System" and Gary McNair's "Count Me In" (NTS Reveal also visits the Traverse). XLC Theatre company have put some great shows on at the Citz in the last couple of years so we'll be heading along to see "Lear's Daughters" which appears to be a prequel to Shakespeare's play. And in a nice piece of programming the National Theatre of Scotland bring David Greig's acclaimed 'sequel' to Macbeth - "Dunsinane" to the Citz in June (following a run at the Lyceum). Having enjoyed his "Manifesto" at the Fringe in 2009 we're looking forward to Mark Thomas's new show "Extreme Rambling" which is part of the Magners Comedy Festival which has a considerable presence across Glasgow in March/April. The Citz Community Co don't seem to have a main stage show planned for the Spring but we're looking forward to going 'Doon the Watter' with them in the Circle Studio in "Fair Friday". And lastly, the Citz have given us a bit of a dilemma with "After the End". It's definitely my kind of show but at the moment I'm finding myself more drawn to Dundee Rep's site specific production of the same play later in June - and I just can't see us booking up for both.
Click to view the Citizens full season brochure.

Published programmes for The Arches and Tramway are limited at the moment and the new season of 'A Play, A Pie & A Pint' at Oran Mor is due to be announced shortly.

Regular readers will know that it takes something special to get us along to the Kings or Theatre Royal in Glasgow due to expensive tickets and uncomfortable seating - but surprisingly we may well be booking up for three shows. We booked some time ago for "King Lear" featuring Derek Jacobi but are also tempted by the touring productions of "Avenue Q" and "Yes, Prime Minister".

The production of "King Lear" can also be seen in a number of cinemas on 3rd February as part of their National Theatre Live programme, and we're planning to see the NTLive performance of "Frankenstein" directed by Danny Boyle on 17 March. We've seen a couple of NTLive shows previously and despite small technical issues it's actually a great way to see a show you wouldn't otherwise be able to see.

With a main season that's largely also available in Glasgow, there isn't anything for us at the Lyceum this time round, but we're considering making trips through to Edinburgh for "Around the World in 80 Days" and "The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church" at the Traverse. I'm also keen to make the trip to Perth Theatre for their production of "Death of a Salesman" which has always been a favourite play of mine.

I'm not sure we're going to be able to make this last one work as it's a one-night-only thing, but Kim Shepherd made a huge impression on us in an amateur production of "We Will Rock You" a few years back, so we're hoping to get through to Dunfermline to catch her 'evening of song' at the Alhambra on 22nd January. UPDATE - this has now been cancelled, but hopefully will be re-scheduled.

As always with our previews, these aren't really recommendations, just a note of the shows that interest us and that may also interest you. Do let us know if you think there's anything we've missed...

Review of the Year - 2010

We managed to see over 50 shows in 2010 – a bit of a drop from the last couple of years. While that may reflect that there were fewer shows that grabbed our attention, it’s also due to the fact that we had fewer available evenings this year. Time constraints also curtailed my trips to “A Play, A Pie & A Pint” at Oran Mor and we really struggled to find much to interest us at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. Even so, we were unable to fit in a number of shows we had been really keen to see this year such as Grid Iron’s “Spring Awakening”, DC Jackson’s “My Romantic History” and the NTS’ “Beautiful Burnout”. Of course, that still leaves us with a lot of great theatre that we did get to see…

Back in March the Citizens production of “Backbeat” left me with the feeling that it didn’t quite manage to gel its separate elements, but ten months later it remains one of the most striking shows I saw – full of visual style and featuring some excellent performances – particularly from Isabella Calthorpe. The Citz also gave us their brilliantly entertaining “One Million Tiny Plays About Britain” with its energetic cast, and their Community Company’s harrowing “The Grapes of Wrath”. It was also at the Citz that we caught the ingenious and delightful "The Event".

The National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Douglas Maxwell’s “The Miracle Man” formed part of their ‘tfd’ season aimed at teenage audiences and was a wonderful piece of theatre for those of any age - a perfect balance between hilarity and heart-wrenching moments.

I was particularly disappointed not to see more of the Tron’s Mayfesto season of ‘political’ theatre as the one show I managed to see – “Address Unknown“ provoked a surprisingly powerful personal response and featured fantastic performances from James MacPherson and Benny Young. In a much less serious moment, but still packing an emotional punch, the Tron’s outrageous production of “Valhalla!” left us laughing all the way home.

The Tron were also involved in what was unquestionably the best piece of theatre we saw in 2010. It’s had plenty of plaudits in places much more significant than our little blog, but we need to add our own recognition of what “Roadkill” achieved. Written with restraint by Stef Smith, creatively directed by Cora Bissett and performed by a wonderful cast it was a flawless piece of theatre that took audience ‘engagement’ to a level I didn’t think existed.

John Kazek’s performance in Roadkill was the finest we encountered this year – transforming chameleon-like from vicious pimp through concerned policeman to a loving African father. Marianne Oldham’s quirky portrayal of “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” at the Citz also made a big impression, while Richard Magowan showed the impact a genuine stage presence can have as Sky Masterson in Theatre Guild Glasgow’s “Guys and Dolls”. Another performance that really impressed us was Joanna Tope in "Promises Promises" and we were completely won over by Janette 'Krankie' in "Aladdin".

Thanks to all those involved in the shows we've seen this year, and also to all of you who have shared your thoughts here. We'll be back in a week or two with our plans for the first half of 2011.

"Flo White" - December 2010

We were sceptical, but last year’s “Ya Beauty & The Beast” at the Tron made us believe we could fall in love with their post-modern panto. Sadly it appears even fairy dust has a limited lifespan, and there is not to be a “happily ever after” ending, for despite a sci-fi setting this is very much a traditional panto.

If a panto should be judged on how the children in the audience respond, then "Flo White" is a resounding success. From its first moments the kids are fully committed and involved in the show – particularly impressive in what can be a lull between Christmas and New Year. It makes a particularly good choice for a Christmas outing for parents who get a little nervous around the innuendo that can overwhelm a panto – it's all pretty clean fun here. And although the Tron can’t compete with the 3D effects in Aladdin at the SECC, their own animations work very well indeed and make a nice addition to the show.

But a great panto knows how to balance its appeal for children and adults alike – and it's here that "Flo White" falters. Even adults who enjoy traditional panto might find themselves struggling at times – almost every scene feels just a little too long and cumulatively it becomes a problem. Do we really need two song-sheet moments? Two characters that require to be greeted every time they appear? A time killing audience interaction scene? An overlong and pointless game of bingo? Even a custard pie throwing scene gets tiresome. Only the 'Barry White' and 'Take That' gags have sufficient legs to justify them running through the show.

Alasdair McCrone and Anita Vettesse put in great performances as panto dame Flo and evil villain Hingeroan but at times both characters feel too large for the show more suited for a Kings-style 'spectacular'. Darren Brownlie's robot Mr Brockie goes down a treat with the kids and Derek McGhie makes the most of a limited role. Star of the show may be Sally Reid's excellent Snow White but it was good to see Fiona Wood given the chance to showcase her impressive vocals as So Shy.

It's a pity that the show didn't quite hit the mark for us, but we can certainly understand why many in the audience, including adults, loved it.

We received our tickets for the show through our membership of the Tron's Patrons scheme which we thoroughly recommend for anyone who is a regular attendee at the Tron. And particular thanks to the Tron for rearranging our tickets when the snow prevented us attending the opening night.

Flo White runs at the Tron until Saturday 8th January.
Image by John Johnston used with permission.

"Aladdin" - December 2010

When I learned that Panto producing behemoth Qdos was attempting to muscle in on the Glasgow market, I found it difficult to see what they hoped to bring to the city that it didn’t already have. And although we’re no fans of most of the existing pantos, each has its own niche. So, my initial response was an urge to resist this commercial interloper – particularly after I read about their national sponsorship deal which involved incorporating Churchill the dog into every one of their pantomimes. But when they announced all round entertainer John Barrowman as their leading man we succumbed to the draw of a star name. And even the later casting of the Krankies wasn’t enough to dampen our enthusiasm. The question remains though – does Glasgow need another Christmas show? And if so, is "Aladdin" it?

There’s no denying that bringing Glasgow-born Barrowman home is a major coup. Glasgow has always had a tradition of creating its own pantomime stars – most recently the late, great Gerard Kelly. But even back in the days of Rikki Fulton and Stanley Baxter they didn’t have the same profile John Barrowman has achieved both nationally and internationally. And from the response in the audience it was clear who most of them (us included) had come to see – and we didn’t leave disappointed. In an age when many celebrities and 'stars' have obvious limits to their talents, it’s great to see one live up to the hype.

But what of The Krankies? Well, they very quickly overcame any reservations we had with some clever in-jokes, impressive physicality and some perfectly played contrived corpsing. We're never going to be huge fans of their humour, but we can recognise that they are absolutely brilliant at what they do. And any similar scepticism about the use of a “3D Genie” vanished just as quickly once we reached the first of several 3D scenes. The effects are stunning – much, much more effective than I had expected them to be. Waldorf may have sat calmly in her seat but I’ll admit to flinching as something flew past my face - and others in our party visibly jumped. The effects provide a huge WOW factor to the show, as does a beautifully executed scene that sees Barrowman flying above the first few rows of the stalls.

The script on the other hand could do with a little more polish. It could be sharper at times, and there isn’t really any concerted effort to make us care about the characters or hide the fact that this is a Barrowman/Krankies vehicle. And while you can argue it’s just giving the audience what they came to see, it’s a waste of a strong supporting cast who appear capable of delivering much more. I’d also have to say that some of the gags based on John Barrowman’s sexuality would have given me concerns - were it not for the fact that he is so clearly the star of the show and has presumably given his approval to the script.

The show appropriates a number of pop songs jukebox-musical-style rather than using an original score. To me it felt like a shortcut too far, but it certainly gets the audience going and no one else I’ve discussed it with had any objection to it. Nor did I hear anyone object to the short scene featuring Churchill. Yes it felt ‘dropped in’ but by that time I could see where my ticket price had gone – if it requires a financial top-up from an insurance company then I can live with that (but do allow us to register mild disapproval by being a little mischievous with our weblinks).

Whilst star names, high production values and technology all contribute to the show’s success, its biggest asset may actually be the venue. We may have seen it at its best in Row D of the stalls, and the lack of significant raking does give me some concerns, but we felt the Armadillo really worked for this kind of show. It has comfortable seats with plenty of legroom – and even the sweet stall prices weren’t ridiculous. If you were to put the same show on here and at the Kings, I would pay an extra £5 for the ticket without hesitation – and in truth probably another £5 without grumbling too much about it (but I would still moan about the £6 SECC car park charge).

But I do worry about what that means for Glasgow's theatres, and with the terrible weather it might be difficult for anyone to quantify the impact Aladdin has had on the other theatres. On a more positive note, I generally believe that theatre-going is a habit and that the more you see, the more you want to see - so if people have been lured in by Barrowman and the 3D genie, perhaps they’ll consider seeing other shows (now or throughout the year).

Aladdin runs at the Clyde Auditorium (the 'Armadillo' at the SECC) until 9th January
Image by Keith Pattison used with permission

"12 Days of Wicked Christmas" - December 2010

The Citizens Community Company can always be relied on to produce a dark and cynical alternative to the saccharine sweet shows that abound each Christmas. We might not quite be talking Frankie Boyle territory, but this is not a family-friendly show.

Comprising sixteen short segments written and performed by the company, some are more successful than others and I think perhaps there was more of a variation in the quality of writing than in previous installments. But while that may be true of the script, I felt the performances clearly showed further development from the already high levels we have come to expect. Particularly noticeable was the inclusion in several scenes of significant audience participation - all handled very skilfully.

And don't ever let anyone tell you that the Community Company are anything less than professional. During the performance we attended they had to contend with a number of audience members who had to leave the Circle Studio mid-scene - walking through the performance space. There also appeared to be a medical incident taking place just outside the studio that resulted in several more comings-and-goings as audience members offered assistance. Yet the cast were completely unphased by it all and remained entirely focussed.

We enjoyed the whole evening, but of course, we had our favourites. Judith Hastie's "The Turkey's Lament" provided a highly entertaining look at Christmas from the Turkey's viewpoint and Neil Bratchpiece gave us a very un-Disneylike "Beauty and the Wee Man". But the comic highlight was Kat Lamont's "Barbie Dolls" which gave us mental images of a new line of dolls that will stay with us way beyond Christmas.

One of the strengths of these annual "Wicked Christmas" shows is that not everything is about getting laughs. Although the audience seemed unsure quite how to respond to it, Robert Tamson's "Ghost" was actually an emotionally powerful monologue, and Marjorie AM Ferry's "Father and Son" was an insightful look at the generation gap.

But "12 Days of Wicked Christmas" just isn't enough - we're hoping next year they give us a "Wicked Christmas Advent Calendar" with the full 24!

12 Days of Wicked Christmas has now completed its run at the Citizens.
Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"Roadkill" - November 2010

This was our third attempt to see "Roadkill". We missed out on tickets for its pre-Fringe run at the Tron, and then despite tipping it as a show to see in Edinburgh we found the entire run sold out by the time we were able to plan our schedule. Even this time round, we had checked in advance with the Tron when tickets were going on sale and phoned first thing on the morning they were released - and availability was already limited. But there's no doubt about it - it was worth waiting for. While its inherent nature and limited audience capacity mean it will never become a cultural phenomenon in the manner of "Black Watch", make no mistake, "Roadkill" is a piece of theatre of that level of quality. Please be aware that our comments on the show give more away about the plot than we normally try to do.

Although staged in a flat in Glasgow's southside, the performance began as soon as we boarded the bus taking us from the Tron to the 'venue'. It's a brilliant way of introducing the characters as we meet young Nigerian Adeola on her arrival in Glasgow. And it's partly the wonderful naive optimism she displays in that short trip that makes it so difficult for the audience to watch as she is forced into the sex trade.

When watching a great piece of theatre, I often find particular scenes or lines being indelibly burned into my memory. But that isn't the case here. Instead, what has stayed with me is the almost uncontrollable urge to scream at Adeola to tell John Kazek's police officer of her plight. And I do genuinely mean uncontrollable - I was actually concerned the shouts in my head were going to escape through my mouth. We often talk about theatre being 'engaging' - for me "Roadkill" took the word to an entirely new level.

But although many of the play's scenes are disturbing and distressing, the brilliance of Stef Smith's writing is that it knows when to pull back. So many 'issue' based plays would take things to such an extreme dramatic conclusion that it would lose that vital, and horrific, realisation that what we are seeing is an everyday occurrence. Similarly, I think many writers would have been unable to resist the temptation to have the police officer Adeola encounters be less than genuinely concerned for her welfare. Indeed I think it's this lack of the dramatic that keeps the play grounded in reality and gives it a real power to affect its audience.

And of course, three magnificent performances help a little. Mercy Ojelade's transformation as Adeola is heartbreaking, but for me the real strength in her performance was actually to make it believable that this young girl would find the strength to escape. As 'Auntie' Martha, Adura Onashile brings out the complexity of the character as both abuser and abused while John Kazek is chameleon-like in several male roles.

Much of the credit for the show must also go to director Cora Bissett and her team responsible for the video elements of the production. With projected footage displayed on the walls, ceilings, a TV, and even a cast member, this is by far the most impressive incorporation of video footage and animation I've encountered in theatre. It's used ingeniously to bring Adeola's nightmarish experiences to life in a way we can just about comprehend and tolerate.

Although we could probably guess that such exploitation goes on close to home, it's very easy not to think about it. And while I'm not sure quite how successful it may be as a 'call to arms' for individuals to help those affected, anything that can raise the profile of the issue politically should be welcomed. And importantly, it never feels like the artists themselves are exploiting those living the lives of the characters it depicts, or comes across as preaching to the audience.

Roadkill is a co-production from Ankur Productions, Pachamama Productions and Richard Jordan Productions in association with the Traverse Theate Company and Tron Theatre. It has completed its current run of performances.
Image used with permission

"The Wee Man & Muckers" - November 2010

Neil Bratchpiece's appearances as Glasgow ned "The Wee Man" in Citizens Community Company shows over the last couple of years have been some of the funniest moments we've had in a theatre. So when we saw that he was headlining a one-night only comedy evening at the Citz we quickly booked up.

Compere for the show in the Citz Circle Studio was Joe Heenan, and despite a tendency to go a bit local-radio-dj in his audience interaction he delivered some strong material and worked the crowd well. So much so, that we agreed entirely with the unusually insightful heckler at the end of the show who observed that Heenan was the best act of the night. He was... and by a considerable margin.

The first act on stage was Bratchy, and if we were to be generous we could describe his routine as a carefully constructed rambling one. But in truth it felt more like a performance thrown together with little thought or preparation. Next up was Julia Sutherland who delivered a slick and polished set, but one that was pretty short on laughs. Fortunately things improved with the appearance of Mikey Adams who, despite his protests, appeared perfectly comfortable working with an audience on all four sides and generated some good laughs.

Following an interval, and some more good work by Heenan, we got the much anticipated arrival of "The Wee Man". But sadly, a character we've seen work brilliantly in sketches, rarely translated to the stand-up format. Without being able to spark off of other characters, Bratchpiece's writing lost much of its sharpness and attempts at audience interaction were met with mixed success. And incomprehensibly, given that Bratchpiece is familiar with the performance space, a significant part of his set involved displaying a set of images on a pad in the corner - leaving half the audience straining to see the detail and a good number unable to see them at all. His delivery of a comedy rap was also hampered by his decision to lose the microphone - making it impossible to catch many of the lyrics. As a result, what should have been an opportunity to showcase Bratchpiece's obvious talent just highlighted the limitations of the character and a need for greater effort in both the planning and the execution of his performances.

Disappointing.

Image used with permission.

"Curse of the Demeter" - November 2010

Inspired by Dracula's journey by sea to Whitby in Bram Stoker's classic novel, writer Robert Forrest gives us his version of the events onboard the Demeter before she finally runs aground on the English coast. Designed to scare its audience in the manner of 'Alien' as the crew are picked off one by one, the fear factor is multiplied by being staged as a promenade performance on board a genuine 'Tall Ship' at Glasgow's quayside.

Quantifying the 'scare factor' is a tricky thing to do, as everyone has different 'buttons' to be pressed, so your mileage may vary. Although there are perhaps only one or two moments which made me jump (and it would benefit from a few more), it certainly created an unsettling atmosphere. Let's just say that there was no rush to be the first to follow our characters down staircases into the darkness.

But then, fear, and particularly fear of the supernatural, is only part of what's important here. Just as significant is the effect the perceived threat has on the relationships between the crew. And while Forrest's writing isn't exactly subtle in making the connection with the current climate of fear in our society, it's a parallel well worth highlighting.

The cast of two, Simon Donaldson and Stuart Bowman, give fantastic performances. Each portrays several of the ship's crew and give the relationships between them a real sense of depth - genuine affection between some; fear and suspicion between others. While they do well to make each character distinct in voice and mannerisms, a little more help by way of props/costumes wouldn't have gone amiss.

Director Douglas Irvine employs handheld video cameras relaying images to strategically placed TV screens at times to give a crew's/monster's eye view of events. While it works well technically, for me the mere presence of the technology often broke the 'spell'. The show is at its most magical when it's at its most low-tech, and perhaps had the 'monster' remained as noises/voices in the darkness our imagination would have made it all the more terrifying.

We saw an early performance of the show*, and we suspect as the run continues it will be tweaked and polished into a unique and memorable piece of theatre.

*This was a performance for an audience of bloggers and social media users which we think was a great idea - although in keeping with our usual policy, we insisted on paying for our tickets.

Visible Fictions' Curse of the Demeter runs at Glasgow's Tall Ship on various dates until 20th November.
Image by Neil Thomas Douglas used with permission.

"Dracula" - October 2010

Sell A Door Theatre Company are currently touring their production of Liz Lochhead's adaptation of "Dracula" around Scotland before a month long residence at the Greenwich Playhouse in London. And with a stop at Stirling's Albert Halls on 31st October, what better way to spend Halloween.

Louis J Parker is excellent at making his Count menacing and monstrous, but despite an appearance that wouldn't look out of place in 'True Blood', 'Twilight' etc. any sense of magnetism or charisma was largely absent. When this Dracula exerts his power over women it appears solely down to his supernatural powers. However, the moments when he bites his victims are exquisitely realised - wonderfully memorable moments of theatre.

The first act is a little on the slow side as the characters are set up but the post-interval introduction of Alexander Pritchett's Van Helsing immediately brings an energy and sense of urgency to the show. It's a really strong performance and carries much of the second act, but it emphasises the problems with the choices made for Dracula. Rather than our vampire hunter battling against all odds, it would be a foolish man who would bet against this Van Helsing in a battle with this Dracula.

Laura Blackmore and Daisy Burns impress as Mina and Lucy, with Mina's transformation from prim propriety to wild abandon particularly well realised. Madness on stage is often taken to hysterical extremes but Kieran Hennigan's portrayal of Renfield, institutionalised after his encounter with Dracula, is beautifully measured. Sophie Holland deftly delivers much of Lochhead's pointed social commentry as maid, Florrie, while Matthew Grace makes Harker's choices and reactions believable, but for such a central character he actually doesn't have a great deal to work with. The strong ensemble is completed by Ellis J Wells' Doctor Seward and Louise Ann Munro's nurse who both have some fine moments, but due to their characters' fast paced dialogue at times their clarity was hampered by the cavernous nature of the venue, vast stage and expanse between the stage and the audience. Indeed all the cast at times found themselves competing with an overly loud, if admittedly atmospheric, soundtrack.

Despite some flaws, this is a fine production and the audience really responded to it - in fact the biggest mistake I saw on stage last night was the cast's failure to recognise that the audience was demanding a second curtain call. When the audience keeps clapping as long as we did and people are whistling and cheering, it's a shame not to oblige them.

Dracula is now nearing the end of an extensive tour but visits Greenock and Tamworth this week before arriving in London on 9th November.
Image used with permission.

"A Clockwork Orange" - October 2010

Kubrick's movie I can take or leave, but I'm fascinated by Anthony Burgess' novel. It's always resonated with me and ignites my own internal struggle between my liberal and paternalistic tendencies. In the end, my soft hearted libertarian side always wins out and I find myself sympathising with Alex. But not this time.

It's an unfortunate legacy of the film that any stage production of "A Clockwork Orange" will always have to compete with its iconic style. Jeremy Raison's production for the Citizens smartly avoids appropriating it, but can't escape the expectation of having to come up with something of their own that is equally striking. And while the look and feel of the production captivates the audience, I fear it may be at the expense of the message.

Although we're told (frequently) that in conditioning young Alex against violence the state have taken away an integral part of his humanity, and despite the well portrayed post-treatment physical response to violence, I found it very difficult to view Alex as a victim. For that I needed to see a broken man, someone who realised what he had lost - and not just angry at the unintended removal of his ability to enjoy music. And I just never got that - even at his lowest point Alex still had a glint of mischief in his eye and a barely concealed gallusness, leaving me contemplating that perhaps his punishment hadn't been harsh enough.

In terms of entertainment, the production really can't be faulted. The dance-like portrayal of the ultraviolence is brilliantly conceived and executed; the implementation of the Ludovico technique is cleverly understated; and the joyride into the country is a wonderful piece of theatre in itself. Burgess invented a teenage language 'nadsat' for the novel and this always has the potential to be problematic, and while the production does its best to quickly give context to the slang, I'm unsure quite how easily it would be picked up by someone encountering it for the first time.

Jay Taylor gives Alex a real presence and the charisma to make the character a believable de facto leader of his gang, but also endows him with the air of superiority that proves his downfall. Raison has brought together an excellent ensemble cast who clearly relish their multiple roles - with Derek Barr, Jonathan Dunn and Shaun Mason in particular transforming almost unrecognisably from Alex's droogs to the Minister, the Warder and the Chaplin amongst others . It was also pleasing to see invaluable experience being given to several Citizens Community Company performers; although having seen in the past what they are capable of, they did feel somewhat underused.

As a lover of the novel, I can't help but feel that it's unfortunate that once more audiences will leave a production of "A Clockwork Orange" talking about its style and energy rather than the issues it raises. But those looking for a slick, vibrant and entertaining production won't be disappointed - the Citizens have really come up with the goods.

A Clockwork Orange runs at the Citizens until Saturday 6th November
Image by Tim Morozzo used with permission

"One Gun" - October 2010

Ian Low's "One Gun" isn't your typical "A Play, A Pie & A Pint" show - it feels very much a 'proper' play. And I really don't mean that as a criticism of the usual output at Oran Mor. It's just that as they tend to be written with a lunchtime audience in mind, even those dealing with heavier issues are balanced with witty repartee. But Low's play is unashamedly serious in tone and would sit just as comfortably in an evening timeslot in any studio theatre up and down the country.

In a small town on the East coast of Scotland, a teenage boy has been fatally shot. His mother, Cardean (Jenni Keenan Green) finds herself reluctantly involved in a process to determine how the gun should be destroyed. She is assisted by Donald (Robin Laing), a UN Weapons Decommissioning observer and artist Gwen (Louise Ludgate) who has been commissioned to transform the decommissioned weapon into a memorial.

While Cardean deals with her grief, both Donald and Gwen have their own demons to face. With so many elements and a 50 minute run time, the narrative does feel as if it has an ingredient or two too many - particularly when contrasted with Low's decision to leave the details of the boy's death undisclosed. In itself, I didn't mind not having that piece of information, but it did mean that for much of the play I was expecting it to be a final reveal. The cast all give strong performances with Laing being particularly impressive as the outwardly assured Donald undergoing his own internal crisis. The projected backdrops worked surprisingly well at creating a sense of place and the soundtrack was wonderfully emotive.

But although this made for engaging theatre, I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to take from it. The most obvious target would appear to be artist Gwen and an industry that feeds on the grief of others, but Low's treatment of the character is rather sympathetic - perhaps aware of the tendency of writers to do the same. In the end, Low might not have hit the heights he was aiming for, but he deserves a huge amount of praise for his ambition, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of his work.

One Gun runs at Oran Mor until Saturday 23rd October
Image by Leslie Black Photography used with permission.

"Sea and Land and Sky" - October 2010

By declining a much sought after ticket to Tuesday night’s Scotland vs Spain match I thought I would be avoiding that well known Scottish ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Who would have thought that the Tron's Open.Stage playwriting competition winner "Sea and Land and Sky" would prove that theatre can suffer exactly the same fate.

Reading the script for Abigail Docherty's play about Scottish nurses behind the front line in the Great War, it's not too hard to believe that it was the winning entry from over 300 submissions. It works very well on the page, and I can certainly imagine it being given a successful production. But sadly, this isn’t it. I don't think I've ever encountered a production with a direction and design so at odds with the tone of the script.

Despite its bleak topic the play reads like a farce with elements of the grotesque, and is almost Pythonesque at times. But with such a serious setting it's essential to quickly establish for the audience that it's acceptable for them to be laughing. And while there is humour early on, the individual laughs aren't sufficiently powerful to make you laugh-even-though-you-know-you-shouldn't, and there aren't enough of them in quick succession to build any momentum. Or at least, not without help from the other aspects of the production. However rather than enhance the comedic elements, the set, lighting, soundscape (including the silence) and even the publicity images, all contribute to signal to the audience that this is a sombre piece of drama and it should be viewed accordingly. As a result, despite the best efforts of a strong cast, many of the laughs fall dreadfully flat, and in the words of the audience member I spoke with at the interval, it makes for pretty "hard going".

Director Andy Arnold and his creative team appear to have chosen to present the play in an earnest style similar to the Tron’s 2008 production of “The Drawer Boy” when I think it would have benefited from something much more akin to their recent flamboyant treatment of “Valhalla!”. After a long process of launching the Open.Stage contest, selecting the winning play and bringing it to the stage, it's a tragedy worthy of the Scottish football team that the victory has been lost by a last minute own goal.

We received our tickets for the show through our membership of the Tron's Patrons scheme which we thoroughly recommend for anyone who is a regular attendee at the Tron.

Sea and Land and Sky runs at the Tron until 23 October
Image by Richard Campbell used with permission

"200th Play (Glasgow:Then & Now)" - October 2010

The simple fact that Oran Mor’s “A Play, A Pie and A Pint” series of lunchtime theatre has reached the milestone of 200 plays shows just how much it has been taken to the heart of Glasgow theatre lovers. And that this “200th Play” based on the theme of “Glasgow: Then & Now” incorporates short playlets from 33 different writers, with 9 directors and a cast of 30, shows similarly how much of an institution it has become within the Scottish theatrical community.

While there’s always the tendency to describe the wider Play, Pie, Pint concept as capable of being a bit ‘hit and miss’ there have been substantially more hits than misses over the years (and even the misses were likely hits for large parts of the audience). But in the 20 or so plays I saw last Wednesday there definitely seemed (to my taste at least) to be considerably more misses than hits. Perhaps our day got the short straw in the selection of plays performed (from the total of 33). Peter McDougal's “Language, Please” was one of many that just didn't work for me, and although many in the audience lapped it up, I found Andy Gray’s “Send in the Pies” (in the style of Judi Dench) excrutiating. And disappointingly some of the more entertaining segments such as Alan Bissett's “Wasp in a Wineglass” and Oliver Emanuel’s “Terra Incognita” could have been set just about anywhere. Most revealingly, there are a number of the plays listed in the programme that I know I did see, but have absolutely no recollection of them whatsoever. However, there were a couple of powerful and relevant pieces in the form of Maclennan’s own “Akuba” - the tale of a plantation 'worker', and Iain Robertson’s “SS Daphne”about a Glasgow tragedy I was unfamiliar with.

It’s difficult not to make unfavourable comparisons with “1 Million Tiny Plays About Britain” at the Citz back in June which hit the mark with just about every scene. And even although she didn’t actually see the show herself, Waldorf perceptively observed that it sounded more about The Event than The Content. While there is no doubt it provided a fitting tribute to David MacLennan’s achievements over the last six years – there’s no point in trying to pretend this was a showcase of “A Play, A Pie & A Pint” at its finest.

200th Play has completed its run at Oran Mor
Image by Leslie Black used with permission.

"The Girl in the Yellow Dress" - October 2010

"The Girl in the Yellow Dress" featured in our early plans for this year's Edinburgh Fringe but we decided to wait and catch it in its post-Fringe run at the Citizens. Craig Higginson's tale set in Paris presents us with a French student of African origin who has arranged private language tuition with a young English woman but it quickly becomes clear that there's a lot going on under the surface of both Pierre and Celia. Over the course of five short acts we watch as their secrets are revealed and the balance of power shifts between the two.

I don't really want to give too much away about the plot and issues involved, but will comment that there were times I felt it opted for an unnecessarily sensationalist approach. But then, the beauty of this piece is as much in the telling as in the tale. I loved Higginson's use of language and Marianne Oldham and Nat Ramabulana really make the most of it - including Oldham delivering a marvellous audition piece for a female version of Sir Humphrey Appleby. The power of the writing and the performances was brought home to me when I found myself desperately pulling for a happy ending for these two damaged souls.

Watching the show in the Citizens Circle studio I was struck by how out of place it seems. I can't recall seeing such a fully realised set in the space before, and while the audience certainly benefits from getting up close to the action, in many respects it feels as if it would be more at home as a main stage production.

Waldorf wasn't 100% convinced that the narrative merited the obvious effort put into the dialogue, performances and staging; but for me this is a beautifully crafted and considered piece of theatre that would grace any stage.

The Girl in the Yellow Dress is a Co-production by the Citizens, Live Theatre (Newcastle) and The Market Theatre (South Africa)
It has now completed its run.
Image by Ruphin Coudyzer used with permission