Someone’s Knockin’ at the Door – Traverse Theatre

Kicking off this season of A Play, a Pie and a Pint, is Someone’s Knockin’ at the Door.  Written by Milly Sweeney, this play features grandparents Kathy (Maureen Carr) and Jack (Jonathan Watson) recounting to their granddaughter how they met music legend Paul McCartney in the rural landscape of the Mull of Kintyre.

Moving between sit-down interviews with the couple separately talking to their granddaughter, to flashbacks of the couple’s camping trip in 1976, Someone’s Knockin’ At The Door evokes heavy nostalgia and sentimentality.  Exploring not only the personal journey of the couple, but how the political landscape in Glasgow actively shaped their relationship.  Sweeney has a knack for tackling a myriad of different themes without complicating the narrative or gleaning over the issues tackled.  This snapshot of what life was like in 1970s Glasgow was fleeting, yet hard-hitting and thorough.  Straightforward and sure of itself, Sweeney’s work is snappy and full of wit, while also gently tackling deep-rooted issues in a very touching manner.

Sally Reid’s direction perfectly aligns with Sweeney’s writing style: it being both dynamic and playful, while also capturing the more grounded moments very gracefully.  The up-and-down style of present to past was well-blocked, allowing us to soak everything in as the actors told the story directly.  Although we had these moments of stillness, it never felt static, with strong transitions between scenes creating movement.  I did feel that the technical aspects of these transitions could have been drawn out further.  At times I thought the sound cues were faded out slightly too soon and could have been played over the dialogue in some moments.  But these technical transitions were a minor issue in the grand scheme of the play and could easily be refined by letting the lighting and sound cues breathe a little more.

I really enjoyed Heather Grace Currie’s designing, with the set perfectly capturing the hazy romanticism of memory.  The projection of photos onto the washing line especially enamoured me – something about that was just so expressive.

And of course, the actors, Carr and Watson, were fantastic here.  Their dynamic worked very well, especially during the more heated arguments where they’d be shouting over each other, exasperated.  They beautifully represented this dysfunctional but loving husband and wife dynamic.  The characters felt fully formed, with Carr playing the exasperated wife with a soft spot for her husband, and Watson playing the lax and wisecracking husband.  They both just wound each other up and it felt so real because there was also so much love there.  And because the duo played this taking the mick so well, when we got to the more heartfelt moments, they hit even harder – I was truly invested in the couple.

It’s safe to say that this season of A Play, A Pie, And A Pint will be a doozy if Someone’s Knockin’ at the Door is anything to go by!

Reviewer: Jessie Martin

Reviewed: 4th March 2026

North West End UK Rating: