This new play has the potential to become one of Scotland’s classics. It’s advertised as ‘an uproarious comedy’ – that, it most certainly is. It’s billed as ‘a hilarious night’ – oh yes, that’s for sure. However, it’s more – it’s a depiction of family dynamics, of fear and frailty, life and death. The balance between its comedic quirkiness and its unexpected depth is what makes this play so exciting.
It affords the great spectacle of farce. Two men, hungover from a night on the ‘rambo juice’, have no memory of what on earth they did with Granny’s corpse when they were on the razz. Well, it must’ve seemed like a good idea at the time … but hurry … the funeral’s fast approaching … there’s a baby on the way … … get a move on … tick tick tick.
The cast were extraordinarily well matched. They had that thing much talked about – chemistry. Nobody really knows what that is until boom! it hoves into view and starts working its magic. And with a cast like this, and direction by Louise McCarthy, the play easily found its flow. It had beat-perfect timing, lightning quick light and shade, and those pauses to let physicality speak – you know the ones, where the actor pushes and pushes an action such as being sick/huvin the boak, to let the laughter grow and grow.
Written by Jerry Taylor and produced by Working Class Productions, this play is on a short tour in coming weeks. Go and see it. Really. Switch off Netflix, haul yourself off the couch and hoof it doon tae the theatre, not least because you’ll be able to say that you were one of the first to ‘discover’ it.
Reviewer: Susan Cohen
Reviewed: 5th September 2024
North West End UK Rating: