"Prom Night of the Living Dead" - August 2011

When the Scottish Youth Theatre selected Brad Fraser's musical "Prom Night of the Living Dead" as their main Summer Festival show, comparisons with Rocky Horror and Buffy were inevitable. Despite a cracking start with an ensemble number that sees the cast filling the Tron's aisles, it soon becomes clear that musically - and particularly lyrically - this isn't the strongest source material to work with. The humour in Fraser's dialogue is rarely as sharp as the Werewolf's claws; the lyrics are overly repetitive (and sometimes just awful); while parts of Ross Brown's new score for the SYT make little impression. It's very much to the credit of the cast that this turned out to be an enjoyable evening.

There’s clearly a variety of experience and ability on stage – some of the cast are here as a confidence builder; others for fun; and a few have serious theatrical ambitions. The beauty of SYT shows is that everyone seems comfortable in their roles - there are no ‘startled rabbits’ and no I-should-have-got-a-bigger-part grabs for the limelight. So it's fitting that the show is at its best in its big numbers – the opening/closing “Come on Fate” (that's what we're calling it anyway) and the title number are both brilliantly choreographed and performed, giving glimpses of what the show might have been.

The main parts are all well performed with Kyrah Harder and Lauren Kate Robertson as our plucky heroines Fern & Dawn, Martin Quinn and Andrew Still as Lon / ‘Werewolf Lon’ making the most of some painfully written duets. As is often the case, the villain of the show gets the best moments – and Katie Barnett knows exactly what to do with them. Producing a gloriously over-the-top performance (without ever being in danger of taking it too far) she wouldn’t look out of place on any professional stage. Add in her pop-friendly vocals and it's clear Barnett is a name for the future.

Mary McCluskey's direction moves things on at pace - impressive when working with a cast of over 40 - although the finale is a little frantic and left us slightly confused. I got grief at the interval for the fact that it took the second 'transformation' scene before I realised that Lon & the Werewolf were played by separate actors, but it just shows how well executed it was (and overhearing conversations leaving the theatre I know others didn't realise until the curtain call).

Please note that in keeping with our long standing policy, we treat all youth/student/amateur theatre in the same manner as professional productions - to do otherwise would be patronising to all involved.

Prom Night of the Living Dead runs at the Tron until Saturday 6th August.

"The Pitmen Painters" - July 2011

At first glance, the basis of Lee Hall's play seems a simple one - a feel good tale about a group of miners in the 30's discovering they have a talent for painting. Before seeing it, I'd wondered where exactly the 'drama' or 'meaning' was going to come from. I'm not sure I've ever been more wrong. Two days later I'm still struggling to crystallise my feelings about the issues faced by the characters and the questions asked about our society - both then and now.

The play is filled with clashes of values and ideas - the individual v the collective; price v value; patronage v patronise; and whilst the focus is on art, the arguments apply across many aspects of society. Although at times in the second act it can get a little wordy, things never feel forced or heavy handed. As Hall has his characters learn, the message in art (and in theatre) reveals itself through the a combination of the creator, the object and the observer. This is very much a play that rewards thought and reflection. The waters are also muddied by a shifting balance of power between characters, and motivations that are often left ambiguous.

Of course, many of the themes of the play have a particular resonance for us - particularly Oliver Kilbourn's repeated pleas to be told if he was truly gifted as an artist or just 'good for a miner'. Despite a stringent policy at View From The Stalls of holding all productions to professional standards it's an issue we are very aware of when commenting on amateur or youth theatre.

Almost the definition of an ensemble piece, the entire cast deliver impressive performances, but Trevor Fox as Kilbourn deserves a special mention for the subtlety he brings to the character in his later scenes with Lyon. Max Roberts' direction is simple but hugely effective at evoking time and place; his use of projected images allowing the audience to see the paintings 'up close'.

The gentle banter makes for an entertaining evening, but it's the quiet thoughtfulness of the play that will stay with me.

"The Pitmen Painters" runs at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow until Saturday 30th July and then continues on a national tour.
Image by Keith Pattison used with permission.

Come on Glasgow - "The Pitmen Painters"

Just back from seeing "The Pitmen Painters" at Glasgow's Theatre Royal and we're very disappointed in Glasgow. Yes, we've had some lovely summer weather, and yes, we don't get that too often. But come on, this is a high profile show with a strong reputation that has been well received wherever it has played. It deserves a theatre that is more than half full. We've had a quick check on the ticketing website and it looks like most of the performances currently have similar ticket sales.

It will be tomorrow night before we get the chance to write up our thoughts on the show (now posted here), but we just wanted to quickly highlight that this is a high quality piece of theatre - and maybe encourage a few more people to get along to see it. It would even be worth some of those from further afield making the trip through (Edinburgh people - we're looking at you!).

"The Pitmen Painters" runs in Glasgow until Saturday. Tickets available online or by phone on 0844 871 7647.

A 'Thank You' to The List <blush>

On Thursday morning I returned to my desk in the office to find a post-it, which simply read "Have you seen The List?". I'll admit to being a little concerned that I was about to be escorted out the of the building for having spent too much time reading the Guardian theatre blog. So I was relieved when my colleague pulled her copy of "The List" from her drawer and flicked to their article on "Scotland's Best Websites - The top 30 websites made for and by Scots". And there we were - right at the very top of the page. Okay, it was in reverse order, so we were No. 30 - but we were there. We're flattered, shocked and a little amused - so a big 'thanks' to the folks at The List for thinking us worthy of a mention.

"Casablanca - The Gin Joint Cut" - July 2011

While there is plenty of theatrical silliness in Morag Fullarton’s cut down version of Casablanca, told with a multi-tasking, quick-changing cast of three, what struck me most was how much respect is given to the original. Despite the fact that I’ve never seen the film, I’ve absorbed enough of its cultural impact over the years that I’m familiar with its most iconic moments, and as writer and director, Fullarton ensures these are played almost entirely straight. In fact, it’s straight enough to make me think I’d quite happily watch a full length, full scale, ‘serious’ stage adaptation of the film.

The cast have been set a Herculean task – having to bring both the characters and the film cast to life. Gavin Mitchell and Clare Waugh are not just Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund – they’re Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine and Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa Lund. Jimmy Chisholm has been landed with the most demanding set of multiple roles and carries each off with brilliance – including one moment where he seems to exit the front of the stage and almost simultaneously re-emerge as another character at the rear of the stage. And on top of all that, they also have to play ‘themselves’ and several more characters in the B Movie and short films that are an inspired ‘additional featurettes’. (A comparison of published running times suggests the ‘Fringe Version’ may not include these ‘additional featurettes’ so if you can get along to the Tron it’s probably a better option).

Fullarton's direction drives the show on at considerable pace and the comic momentum built is simply irresistible - crammed full of visual, aural, physical and theatrical gags with each and every one hitting the mark. Barry McCall's sound design also adds greatly to the show - both in atmosphere and with a number of perfectly executed sound effects.

'Casablanca' is one of those very rare shows that I have no hesitation in recommending to absolutely everyone and I'm certain it will be a huge hit at the Fringe. I simply can't imagine anyone coming out of this without a huge grin plastered all over their face that will last all day long.

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.

Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut ruins at the Tron until 23rd July and then at the Pleasance Courtyard from 3rd to 29th August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Image by John Johnston Photography used with permission.

Edinburgh Fringe 2011 - First Picks

As always with our Fringe previews, what follows shouldn't really be taken as recommendations - while some of our choices are based on experience with the companies, many are simply shows that we think might interest us based on the blurbs in the Fringe Programme. Your mileage may vary.

But before we get to that, we do have reviews already for a couple of productions that are now being revived for the Fringe. We adored the Citizens "One Million Tiny Plays About Britain" and Mark Thomas gave us an entertaining and thought provoking evening with his "Extreme Rambling". The Tron's "Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut" was a fantastic night out and should feature near the top of anyone's list of must-see shows.

We've managed to put together quite a considerable list of shows - it was so much easier than last year when we found the pickings to be rather on the slim side. The downside of that is that with so many shows it will be harder than ever to schedule them all - and budget will certainly play a part too. So sadly it's inevitable that while we'd like to see all these shows, some will be 'lost along the way'.

We'd wanted to see Dundee Rep's production of Dennis Kelly's "After the End" but couldn't schedule the trip to Dundee, so it was good to see them taking it to Edinburgh. We also missed Fish and Game's "Alma Mater" at Scotland Street School last year so it's another show we're hoping to fit in - we love its idea of using technology as part of the performance.

We like the sound of "Commencement" with its schoolgirl revolution while the Comedian's Theatre Company are always worth seeing, so "Cul-de-Sac" is high on our list of shows to fit in.

Having given us "Sub Rosa" and "White Tea" in recent years we're more than willing to indulge David Leddy - even if his 'innovative meditation' in "Untitled Love Story" sounds a little outside our comfort zone. Similarly You Need Me have been pushing our boundaries since we first saw one of their shows three years ago. After a year's absence we're really looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us with "Death Song".

Long time followers of our Fringe coverage may have noticed that any show describing itself as "darkly comic" will catch our attention - but woe betide a show that doesn't live up to that billing. The first of those shows attempting the equivalent of a chocolate fondant on Masterchef is "The Ducks" which looks at youth unemployment. "Pushing up Poppies" set in a WWI trench also attempts the task, but should benefit from having Kieran Lynn as a writer - I've really enjoyed some of his other plays.

While for many Fringe-goers (and the press critics) the Traverse is their main hub for the first week, previous bad experiences and high ticket prices make us wary of booking up. But "The Golden Dragon" with its promise of "whisking you away from your local takeaway to East Asia and back" is enough to convince us to take a chance.

The prospect of "Handling Bach", a show about a fictional meeting between composers Handel and Bach wouldn't normally get a second glance from us, but Nonsenseroom have more than earned our trust over a number of years. As always with their shows out at Rosslyn Chapel we particularly recommend booking up for one of their 'special evenings' on Saturdays 13th & 20th which include a light buffet and tour of the Chapel. The Chapel is a bus trip out from the city centre but the effort should be well rewarded.

I've been wanting to see Fin Kennedy's play "How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found" for several years so I'm delighted to see The Outsiders staging it - so much so that we're prepared to break our usual rule of avoiding anything in a 'hotel venue'.

We've enjoyed a few of Mike Maran's storytelling shows over the years and we're looking forward to seeing his tale of the Italians who made their home in Scotland in "Italia'n'Caledonia". A different take on immigration/integration also caught our eye in the shape of "Rose" which focuses on the struggle between 1st and 2nd generation middle eastern immigrants starring father and daughter Art & Keira Malik.

A comedy based on a search to cast a dog in a film could well be awful but something about "Lights, Camera, Walkies" makes us want to give it a chance. Similarly unusual is "The Tour Guide" which appears to take place on an open top bus around the city.

"The Monster in the Hall" was a big hit for the Citizens/TAG last year and it's great to see them taking it to the Traverse, but unless we can take advantage of a 2 for 1 offer that whole "Traverse ticket price" thing might be a problem. Of course, the Traverse isn't the only place where prices can make us think twice about a show - Steven Berkoff's "Oedipus" at the Pleasance is another show with higher prices than we'd like. Also at the Pleasance but with a much more attractive price tag is "One Under" - a tale set on the London Underground from PartingShot.

Cumbernauld Theatre's "Viewless" is set around a witness protection programme and as we enjoyed their previous take on "The Wasp Factory" we reckon this is worth a look. Of course when it comes to relying on a company's reputation few shows are in better standing than "What Remains" from site-specific legends Grid Iron. But seriously - at up to £19 a ticket we're already left wishing we'd booked up before the 2 for 1 offer sold out.

And rounding up the shows that Waldorf and I plan on seeing together is "The World According to Bertie" - an adaptation of an Alexander McCall Smith novel.

But that's only the beginning, we've each got shows that we just can't persuade the other to see, so we've got our individual lists too...

I'm not sure that "Antony and Cleopatra" would normally make my list, but I've enjoyed reading director Claire Wood's Play Thing blog on her efforts to put it together, so I'd like to see how it turns out. "Dust" seems certain to gain plenty of publicity with being set on the day of Margaret Thatcher's death and featuring Arthur Scargill (as a character - not the real one!). Staying with politics/history (although going a little further back) is "The Trials of Galileo". I'm also hoping to see "Remember This" from Edinburgh University Theatre Company as I really enjoyed their "Wild Allegations" last year.

Rather unusually, and possibly inspired by her new Edinburgh based job, Waldorf has managed to find herself a substantial number of shows she hopes to see on her own. It remains to be seen just how many of her ambitious list can be fitted in to long lunches or early finishes (and she may wait for early reviews). Realistically I'll be amazed if she manages more than a handful and god knows when she'll get round to writing them up, so if these are your shows please don't count on a review you can use. Anyway, here is what caught her eye...

Bawbees and Ducats or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Piazza
The Boy James
Bluebird
Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson
The End
Even in Edinburgh / Glasgow
Find Me
4.3 Miles from Nowhere
Free Time Radical
(g)Host City
The Girl Who Thought She Was Irish
Go to Your God Like a Soldier
The Historians
I, Malvolio
Ink
The Laramie Project
Laundry Boy
Me, Myself & Miss Gibbs
Minute After Midday
The Mourning Party
One Thousand Paper Cranes
Private Peaceful
Release
Simon Callow in Tuesday at Tescos
Taketh Me Away
The Toll
Your Last Breath

And do feel free to let us know what your tips are...

"Yes, Prime Minister" - June 2011

Although she's taken a back seat from writing reviews these days, Waldorf always contributes to what ends up in our thoughts here. After seeing "Yes, Prime Minister" she surprised me by offering to write our comments on it. Turns out her plan was simply to say "Give it a miss and watch the DVD box set instead". But by then I'd already had to make a conscious decision not to leave at the interval - and the main thing that kept me there was the fact I was going to be writing about it here.

When I'd first heard about this stage version of the much loved TV show I was sceptical. It was hard to imagine these characters played by anyone other than Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne & Derek Fowlds. Even with the original writing team of Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn I struggled to believe it would work. And then the reviews came in - all very positive - for both the London and touring casts. We simply couldn't dismiss it anymore.

But almost as soon as the show started we knew we'd made a dreadful mistake. This was horrible. Simply horrible. It would be understandable if our disconnection from the show was due being unable to accept these new faces as the well known characters, but that wasn't the case. Yes, the central performances from Richard McCabe, Simon Williams and Chris Larkin were overcooked, but the real problem was in the writing. Sir Humphrey no longer has his aura of supreme competence and Jim Hacker appears to have the upper hand for most of the evening. Hacker and Bernard have lost all the charm and likability of the originals leaving Hacker a pretty vile little man and Bernard a cliched upper class twit. It's as if they have been B'stardised into their New Statesman equivalents.

The plot, such that it is, also seems terribly misjudged. The (comparatively) grounded reality of the TV show has disappeared and the replacement is almost beyond farce. The suggestion that they should comply with a foreign representative's request to provide him with an underage prostitute is at best in bad taste; to attribute that request to a "Kumrani" politician and include discussion of Islamic attitudes is likely to cause considerable offence.

In the interest of fairness, many in the audience at Glasgow's Theatre Royal clearly enjoyed the evening. Although the reception to the first half was generally rather flat, by the curtain call it had won most over. And don't forget that there are plenty of excellent reviews of the show with only one or two feeling as we did.

For us it was totally lacking in humour, cleverness or subtlety - everything that made the original so wonderful.
Give it a miss and watch the DVD box set instead.

"Yes, Prime Minister" runs in Glasgow until Satuday 25th June and then continues on its national tour.
Image by Manuel Harlan used with permission.

"5 Minute Theatre" - 24 hours of theatre

Just a quick point in the direction of the National Theatre of Scotland's "5 Minute Theatre" which starts at 5pm on Tuesday 21st June and runs until 5pm on Wednesday 22nd June. 24 hours of individual pieces of theatre, each lasting five minutes, will be streamed on the website fiveminutetheatre.com

I think we'll be limited to watching some of the Tuesday evening pieces, but hopefully some or all of them may be made available to watch after the initial event.

"Fair Friday" - June 2011

I'm too young to have witnessed the mass exodus from Glasgow 'doon the watter' each July, but as a child I spent the odd day cycling round Millport and remember fondly a trip on the Waverley. So the Citizens Community Company's "Fair Friday" rekindled memories while also giving an idea of just how significant an event it must have been in its heyday.

Combining true tales, moments of comedy and traditional Glasgow songs it was clear to see it resonating with sections of the audience old enough to have experienced the reality for themselves. It was pretty incredible to see so many people singing along to songs that I'd never heard of - it certainly made me wonder about other parts of Glaswegian culture I've missed out on.

As with all youth, community and amateur shows we share our thoughts on them in the same manner as we do professional shows - we don't believe in making 'allowances'. Indeed, one of the things that influenced that 'policy' was the high standard that the Citz Community Co have delivered over the years - their "Wicked Christmas" shows are a regular highlight of our year. And with that in mind, we did feel that "Fair Friday" was not as polished as previous shows - while still clearly well received by the audience. The songs were a great success, however some of the scenes lacked impact and perhaps due to there being so many entrances and exits there were a couple of stumbled lines.

One of the enjoyable things about seeing the group's shows year after year is seeing familiar faces develop, but it was also good to see a number of new faces this time around. It's to the credit of all involved how successful the company has been over a prolonged period. And we've already booked up for this year's Christmas show.

Fair Friday has completed its run at the Citizens.

"Dunsinane" - June 2011

After spending an evening doing a 'first pass' of the Edinburgh Fringe programme, I can't escape the irony that a sequel to Macbeth with political allegories for present day conflicts is exactly the kind of show I'd run a mile from. Yet Dunsinane is the best piece of theatre I've seen in months. But then, in fairness, those Fringe shows don't have the pedigree of a writer like David Greig attached to them - or the logos of the RSC and NTS on their adverts.

Despite being aware that the play had been well received on its initial run in 2010, I'd avoided reading much about it in advance - so its comedic tone and contemporary language came as a bit of a (pleasant) shock. Although I must confess that my puzzlement as to how exactly Lady Macbeth ('Gruach' as she is here) was still around, did require a pre-show check of her fate in Shakespeare's tale. But I needn't have bothered as Greig quickly explains her 'resurrection' with a rather ingenious bit of 'retcon'.

He also creates a wide scope for the play, letting the audience engage with both the high level political machinations and the soldiers whose lives are affected by them. Jonny Phillips excels as Siward, the English general tasked with securing the throne for Malcolm (and a peaceable neighbour for England). Even when his character crosses all kinds of lines, Phillips gives him a nobility that keeps the audience with him. Siobhan Redmond's Gruach coalesces her character's playful and steely aspects beautifully while Brian Ferguson gives Malcolm enough ambiguity to leave us wondering if the weak King is in fact a master manipulator. Tom Gill gives a wonderfully engaging performance as the young soldier (who also serves as narrator) and Alex Mann as Egham delivers many of Greig's best lines with a perfect sense of comic timing. And I could go on - the whole supporting cast deliver in every role.

The contemporary 'message' about the dangers of nation building bleeds through the play, and there are only one or two occasions where it feels slightly heavy-handed. Waldorf felt the final scenes didn't provide the ending the piece deserved, but for me it worked well. So much so, that as a whole I don't think I've seen a better 'traditional' 'proper' 'on-a-stage' piece of theatre. Ever.

And that's probably where this post should end. But that would ignore a significant element of how I felt about Dunsinane. An aspect that required me to make a conscious decision to flick an 'ignore' setting in my head during the show in order that I could enjoy it.

Much of the humour, particularly in the first act, is at the expense of Scotland and the Scots. It's genuinely laugh-out-loud funny and the Scottish audience enjoyed the opportunity to laugh at themselves. And that's where I have a problem. For despite the National Theatre of Scotland 'badge' this is a revival of a Royal Shakespeare Company production that ran in London at the start of 2010. Which leaves me feeling rather uncomfortable at the thought of a 'London' audience enjoying laughs at the savages up north. Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive - I'd certainly be interested to hear if anyone else had similar concerns.

But even with that caveat, I'm pretty sure that in a week/month/year my memory of Dunsinane will simply be of a wonderful night at the theatre.

Dunsinane has completed its run at the Lyceum and the Citizens. It runs at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 2nd July.

Image by Richard Campbell used with permission.

Website Problems

As many of you will be aware Blogger has had some serious difficulties in the last few days. While View From the Stalls doesn't seem to have been down at any time, Blogger took the decision to 'roll back' the system and temporarily remove posts made during a time period of several hours. As a result it removed our post about the announcement of the shortlists for the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland for most of today.

Fortunately it appears that normal service has now been resumed.

Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland shortlists

Congratulations to all those on the shortlists for the CATS awards 2010-2011 which were announced today. Disappointingly, despite seeing rather a lot of theatre in the last 12 months we only managed to see two of the productions recognised. While we are delighted to see "Roadkill" feature deservedly in 5 categories we're a little surprised it didn't also get the nod for John Kazek for Best Male Performance. The only other nominated show we saw was Molly Taylor's charming "Love Letters to the Public Transport System" which appears in the Best New Play category.

Other shows with multiple nominations include Dundee Rep's "Sweeney Todd", Stellar Quines/Lyceum's "Age of Arousal", the National Theatre of Scotland's "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart" and the Traverse's "The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain".

We can't comment on shows we didn't see - other than to say that they must have been brilliant to edge out some of the shows we did see. There are two in particular that we expected to feature in a few categories this year that the critics have overlooked entirely - the Citizens brilliant "One Million Tiny Plays about Britain" and the Tron's outrageous "Valhalla!".

The full shortlist is available at the CATS website and the winners will be announced in a ceremony on Sunday 12th June.

"Falling/Flying" - April 2011

Stef Smith's 'monologue' in two voices allows us an insight into what it means to live the life of a transgender woman. We witness her early realisation of how she wanted to live, the prejudice she encounters, and then finally watch as her hard won identity is stripped from her by illness. But this isn't as bleak as it sounds. There is plenty of humour as 'he' and 'she' share memories and the overwhelming feeling is of adversities overcome and a life lived to the full.

John Paul Murray and Gordon Brandie give compelling performances as the 'male' and 'female' voices and make a real connection with the audience - it really matters that we're there to listen to her/their story. For the most part Ros Philip's direction works well, but although they add a nice touch, the projection elements seem unnecessary and out of place in what is otherwise a pretty pared back production. The moments when the actors play other characters in her life aren't always as clearly realised as they could be - in part due to a narrative that jumps around a little too much (also resulting in it being difficult to get a sense of the timeframes involved).

"Falling/Flying" is a touching personal tale but with its complex structure, poetic language and movement the volume of the theatricality risks drowning out the intimacy of the story.

Falling/Flying has completed its run at the Tron.
Image by Chris Amos used with permission.

"Project Branded" - April 2011

Tron Skillshops, the Tron's drama group for 13 to 17 year olds, brings us a look at where society may be headed with "Project Branded". With its group of close friends refusing to conform to the state's new programme designed to restrain teenage impulses it's like a mash up of "Skins", "A Clockwork Orange" and "We Will Rock You" - which isn't a bad place to start.

This is the first time we've been along to a Tron Skillshops production so it's worth outlining our approach to youth drama. Along with amateur and community theatre, we don't make any allowances and treat all performances exactly as we do fully professional shows. We believe that to do otherwise would be patronising to all those involved.

So, with that in mind, let's get the negatives out of the way right at the start. Most likely due to first night nerves, there were some quiet voices, a fair number of stumbled lines and a couple of horribly hesitant moments. And similarly, during the chorus/dance/movement segments there wasn't always the polished execution there might have been.

Fortunately, there was a lot of good stuff on display here too. The band of 'Outlaws' fighting the system make for a believable group of friends with Grant McDonald's "Ryan" and Ebony Blair's "Jess" making particularly strong impressions. Jack Kennedy gives an assured performance as Project Branded's "Head Advisor", clearly enjoying the character's almost GLaDOS-like personality. Directors Lisa Keenan & Gillian Crawford have given the show a well thought out structure that keeps things interesting - and all involved deserve credit for giving the show quite a ballsy finish. Hopefully as the run progresses the cast will gain in confidence and experience and be able to showcase the full extent of their talents.

We received our ticket for Project Branded through our membership of the Tron's Patrons Scheme - which we thoroughly recommend to all regular attendees at the Tron.

Project Branded runs at the Tron until Saturday 9th April
Image by John Johnston used with permission

"Mark Thomas - Extreme Rambling" - April 2011

Since the shocking revelation at the weekend that I have parents who think Michael McIntyre is funny, my mind has been tormented by the possibility that this may be the result of a genetic flaw and that later in life I may succumb to the same mental frailty. But fortunately, last night I had my fears banished – I just don’t believe anyone who found Mark Thomas as funny as I did could ever tolerate watching McIntyre’s ridiculous grin for more than 60 seconds without putting a foot through the TV.

This latest piece of political comedy saw Mark tell the packed Citizens Theatre of his escapades on an attempt to walk the full length of the Israeli-built wall which divides Israel from Palestine. As with all comedy gigs there's a danger of any review spoiling half the fun - so please forgive us for not providing any details of the evening. But here's everything you need to know: Mark Thomas is a comedy genius - not a word we use lightly. What he delivers is a carefully constructed retelling which has been crafted and polished for maximum impact; yet his obvious fire and passion make it feel fresh and spontaneous. Along with the rest of the audience we spent 95% of the evening grinning and laughing. But Thomas has an ability, like no other performer I've encountered, to shift to a more serious point and kill the laughter stone dead as we take in the shocking detail he's just dropped on us. So often we've seen audiences at other performers fail to appreciate such shifting tones, but Thomas has such control over his audience that we follow his lead as single unit.

With impeccable timing, a self deprecating attitude and an ability to bring characters to life, Thomas is a comic and theatrical performer at the absolute top of his game. For anyone even a little sympathetic to his views on politics, human rights and civil liberties, I doubt there is a more entertaining night out available anywhere.

Mark Thomas - Extreme Rambling has completed its two night run at the Citizens as part of the Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival. It continues on an extensive UK tour including dates in Inverness and Aberdeen.
Image used with permission.