Sign up for free updates from the Theatre!
Receive a daily email digest from myFT that rounds up all the latest Theatre news every morning. This year, the Traverse Theatre is revisiting some of its most successful shows from past Edinburgh Fringe festivals. These include Lauryn Redding’s captivating musical love story “Bloody Elle” (2022), Nassim Soleimanpour’s daring theatrical experiment “Nassim” (2017), and Cora Bissett’s punky musical memoir “What Girls Are Made Of” (2018). All of these shows are exceptional and definitely worth seeing. Even though this year’s lineup of new plays may not always reach the same level as these greatest hits, they still offer interesting perspectives on love, sex, and Scottish identity.
Two of the plays take contrasting approaches to a similar theme: a man in his fifties coming to terms with his repressed homosexual feelings. “Heaven,” produced by Fishamble from Ireland, is a standout production this year. It received rave reviews for its premiere in Dublin. Written by Eugene O’Brien, this lyrical and sensitively crafted story follows a married couple who are pulled in different directions during a chaotic family wedding. Mairead (played by Janet Moran) rekindles a romance with an old flame, while Mal (played by Andrew Bennett) finally understands his suppressed gay fantasies. Both Moran and Bennett deliver performances filled with vulnerability, poignancy, and passion, and O’Brien’s nuanced writing brings dignity to what could easily be dismissed as ordinary midlife crises in a small Irish town. It’s a beautifully acted story about the pursuit of the divine amidst the realities of everyday life.
On the other hand, Kieran Hurley’s play “Adults” runs the risk of being judgmental. It is a weak sex farce that finds humor at the expense of its closeted older protagonist. The main character, Iain (played by Conleth Hill), finally gathers the courage to visit a brothel in search of a male companion. Instead, he encounters his former student, Zara (played by Dani Heron), who humiliates him by throwing a strawberry Yazoo in his face, dressing him in a ridiculous ruffled silk shirt, and berating him for encouraging her to dream big. The play includes scenes where Iain falls over a pouffe and gets hit with a glittery dildo. It is distressing to witness a gay man being humiliated and subjected to online abuse in a play presented as a comedy. While there are moments that touch on the challenges faced by the younger generation in a bleak economic climate and the pressures of parenthood, these aspects are overshadowed by the play’s inherent cruelty.
To gain a better understanding of Iain’s struggles, watching Breach Theatre’s production of “After the Act” is highly recommended. This verbatim musical sheds light on the impact of Section 28, a law that prohibited the mention of homosexuality in British schools between 1988 and 2003. The play incorporates real testimonies, some of which are subversive, such as the story of a group of lesbians who protested by abseiling into parliament, and others more somber, like a young gay man’s fear of AIDS. Through their songs and performances, the parents’ protest against homosexuality being discussed in schools is ironically portrayed, highlighting their failure to recognize the dominance of their perspectives in their children’s education. While the narrative arc of the play may sometimes feel a bit blurry as it explores the periods before, during, and after Section 28, the production’s distinctive aesthetic, featuring grainy old TV footage, synth-heavy songs, and vibrant trouser suits, creates an ’80s-infused dystopia that feels simultaneously distant and close.
In Nat McCleary’s debut play “Thrown,” big issues and colorful aesthetics converge. The performers don tie-dye T-shirts and glittering capes as they grapple with concepts of Scottish identity and their relationships with each other. Amidst the whimsy of sports like haggis hurling, the play highlights backhold wrestling, where opponents hold each other tightly until one is thrown to the ground. McCleary uses this sport as a metaphor to explore the strained friendships within an all-female group of backhold wrestlers. While at times the play may seem too literal-minded, with scenes like a tug of war between a white influencer and a black career woman, torn between their different identities, there is a perceptive vision of Scotland that challenges its overly simplistic and stereotypical self-image.
Following her successful and innovative reimagining of “Pride and Prejudice,” Isobel McArthur returns with another original comedy, “The Grand Old Opera House Hotel.” This unclassifiable production combines elements of sex farce, opera, and ghost story. The story follows Aaron, a bumbling hotel trainee who falls for a mysterious apparition that fills the corridors of his monotonous workplace with aria-filled sounds. Initially assuming he’s being haunted, Aaron eventually discovers that the source of his visions is Amy, a co-worker who is trying to win him over with a Walkman filled with iconic musical tunes. The play delves into opera singing, bedroom-hopping antics, and satirizes the corporate world’s attempts to erase history. Opera enthusiasts will appreciate the creative reappropriation of snippets from Bartók, Bizet, Wagner, and other composers, skillfully sung by a talented cast of comic actors. While the play could benefit from some improvements in plot development and pacing, its infectious energy promises to captivate audiences both inside and outside of the Traverse Theatre.
Sign up now at traverse.co.uk to stay updated on all the latest Theatre news!
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
