list.co.uk/theatre
P H O T O :
P A M E L A R A T H
I
Previews | THEATRE
MUSICAL THE LAST SHIP Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Tue 12–Sat 16 Jun; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 18–Sat 23 Jun ●●●●●
With a smattering of Sting’s hits and score written by the singer- songwriter, The Last Ship shares something with a jukebox musical production, but is more determined to pay tribute to a shipyard’s character. Carried by its remarkable scenography (a mixture of tactically introduced video screens and a metallic framework that evokes the steel that built the yards), it tells a triple story: of lost love redeemed, the desire to escape, and the Conservative political machinations that eventually destroyed the industry. The tough political polemic that frames this show is supported
by a sentimental representation of the men themselves. When the foreman dies during the yard’s occupation, it’s hard to miss the messianic themes, and the characters are frequently symbolic rather than deep. So, a union leader recites Marxist analysis, the aggressive drunk finally does the right thing, the carpenter enriches his life through poetry, and a young woman yearns for musical success. While the threads are resolved when the last ship is launched in the face of state oppression, their respective moods don’t mesh. The machismo of the shipyard men is unchallenged, the women are uncompromisingly supportive, except in a brief song introducing part two, itself an awkward adjunct to the action, since part one ended with the foreman’s first collapse.
The repetition of certain songs extends the running time without deepening either the drama or themes, but the folky melodies can be, by turns, charming and forceful. The political realism possibly clashes with the easy resolution, and the narrator’s pride in the working-class men becomes cloying. An uncritical celebration of the power of the working-class, its own dialectic of toughness and emotionalism lacks a nuanced critique of the nature of the Tory attack on the area’s industrial base, and its regionalism disguises second act's meandering. (Gareth K Vile)
ADAPTATION PRIDE AND PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF) Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 29 Jun–Sat 14 Jul SOCIAL DRAMA DOWNS WITH LOVE Touring until Tue 12 Jun
Blood of the Young are establishing themselves as a dynamic young theatre company with their bold, irreverent takes on classics well worth seeking out.
Here, they unstarch the petticoats of Jane Austen’s novel of love and social climbing, Pride and Prejudice. It’s very much a collaborative process, as writer Isobel McArthur explains. ‘The core values of the company remain the same which means that although this show is brand new and attempts to do things we have never tried before, it should be colourful, dynamic and generous.’
Although the thrust of the storytelling will still be to the fore, McArthur insists there will be much invention. ‘It should feel like it celebrates Austen’s humour and tells her story in a way that values its core message to the reader, albeit with karaoke and disco balls.’
And McArthur believes it’s the timeless themes
that keep the tale of societal pressure and romance fresh. ‘It reveals something about human beings and what they really enjoy in a love story. We’re happy to interrogate that weakness for romance in this show. What the show will never do, however, is pretend to be cleverer than Austen.’ And with an all-female cast, it’s sure to bring a new energy to the tale. (Lorna Irvine)
‘Theatre enables an audience to see, hear and experience issues from other people’s perspectives,’ says Suzanne Lofthus, writer and director of Downs with Love. ‘The play doesn’t give answers but raises questions.’
Lofthus’ company, Cutting Edge Theatre, presents a moving love story that challenges lazy notions about people with Downs Syndrome, casting Abigail Brydon as a young woman dealing with passionate desire and perceived disability. While the company has previously worked in prisons and staged large- scale community works, Downs with Love takes a more traditional approach.
‘I set up Cutting Edge Theatre in 1995 in Edinburgh with the express aim to "make a difference". We work a lot with people who are disadvantaged in some way both here and abroad,’ continues Lofthus, before affirming her roots in community performance. ‘Often the process is as important as the end product.’ By presenting a story that isn’t a simple lecture on the nature of Downs, Cutting Edge are consciously promoting a serious discussion about social attitudes. ‘I hope the audience will question themselves about what do they actually think about disability, perhaps have their preconceptions challenged and be inspired.’ (Gareth K Vile)
IMMERSIVE THE REASON I JUMP The Children’s Wood and North Kelvin Meadow, Glasgow, Mon 11–Sat 23 Jun
A collaboration between the National Theatre of Scotland and the National Autistic Society, The Reason I Jump adapts Naoki Higashida’s best-selling novel to explore the experience of autism, both through the floating, allusive narrative of the book and the contribution of performers. ‘This project provides an opportunity to hear directly from autistic people about what life is like,’ says director Graham Eatough. ‘The show involves performers with autism who I’ve been working with for over two years now. They’ve been one of the biggest inspirations for the project. The show takes the form of a giant outdoor maze designed by Dutch artists Observatorium. As you travel through the maze you encounter the different performers until you arrive in a special central area where you’re invited to walk a labyrinth that we’ve permanently installed there.’
Dramaturge Clare Duffy expresses an enthusiasm for the source material, and the way it encourages a wider discussion. ‘It’s a book that evokes lots of thought and feeling rather than stories,' she says. 'It was really important to explore the difference between the book as a personal testament and questions about what autism is.’ (Gareth K Vile)
1 Jun–31 Aug 2018 THE LIST 109