"27." Lyceum Theatre.

Writer: Abi Morgan

Director: Vicky Featherstone

Length: 130 minutes

21st October - 12th November.

Based on the real-life study of 700 nuns's lives and how their self-contained lifestyles impacted their health & well-being, "27" explores the lives of a group of nuns who are asked to take part in an Alzheimer's disease study by the dedicated Dr Richard Garfield (Nicholas Le Prevost). The nuns, headed by the lively, headstrong Sister Ursula (Maureen Beattie) and Mother Superior, Sister Miriam (Colette O'Neill), soon find their simple lives disrupted by the conflict between faith and science, as well as their personal entanglements with the visiting scientists and the threats of their own minds betraying them.

2011 is a good year to be Abi Morgan. Following her critical and commercial smash BBC drama "The Hour", with two highly anticipated movies, "the Iron Lady" and "Shame" on the horizon, Morgan's latest addition to the stage attempts to explore the tensions between belief and science, the decline of the human mind and the increasing demise of the traditional convents. From the heart-warming comedies of the "Sister Act" movies to the psychological melodrama of "Black Narcissus", the lives of nuns have been fertile ground for dramatic entertainment and Morgan's own addition to the field has some interesting ideas but ultimately feels incomplete.

If I have come to any conclusions regarding the Lyceum's season so far, it is that the theatre should be extremely proud of the acting talent that has been on show since the summer's beginning. While the plays have varied in quality, the actors have always been top notch and "27" is no exception. Maureen Beattie stands out in particular amongst a strong ensemble, imbuing Sister Ursula with such warmth that it makes her continuing conflicts all themore heartbreaking to watch. Colette O'Neill's turn as the once brilliant Sister Miriam, slowly losing herself to the disease, is another brilliant display of talent. In fact, the strongest scenes of the play are between Beattie and O'Neill as their mother-daughter style relationship slowly changes into one of increasing dependence. Unfortunately, Morgan's writing is not as consistently vivid and challenging as these scenes show it could have been.

Morgan's writing has moments of real poignancy and humour, capturing a dying lifestyle already in the midst of modernisation, but the overall lack of focus means these moments are few and far between. The more intellectually driven moments, such as Richard's monologues regarding his studies, feel like experts from a research paper shoe-horned in for exposition's sake. While it's reasonable to argue that the play's ambiguous nature is perfect for a play on such a topic, it doesn't entirely justify Morgan's almost flaky nature regarding her juggling of multiple themes and ideas, all of which are thought provoking but few are ever given the appropriate time to develop into something truly powerful. It's a long play that often feels longer due to this indecisiveness. A strong, merciless editor could have worked wonders with this piece.

The simple staging feels appropriate to the production, although I do question Featherstone's set design choices - the convent is described on more than one occasion as being old and in need of repairs, yet is represented by an extremely slick and modern staging, paired with 70s style furniture that feels more natural to the piece. Aesthetically, the staging is striking, but feels unsuited to the story.

"27" is often a mess but one with much to recommend. Beattie's performance in particular may be worth the ticket price alone, but the inconsistency of the book may frustrate many. The passion is evident but the reason is somewhat lacking. Morgan is an obvious talent but one who may need some help in reining in her ideas.

2.5/5.

"Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off." Lyceum Theatre.

Images © Douglas McBride.

Writer: Liz Lochhead

Director: Tony Cownie

Length: 130 minutes.

16th September - 15th October 2011.

Eagle eyed readers of this blog (of which I'm sure there are hundreds) will notice that the name of this one horse show is taken from the latest offering from the Lyceum's season, a play I consider to be a modern classic. Indeed, in a Scotland with a majority Nationalist government and the idea of independence an increasing reality, the 1987 play by the Makar Liz Lochhead (Scottish version of the Poet Laureate) feels more relevant than ever.

Set during the reigns of the twa queens of the wan green island, the play follows the stories of Mary (Shauna Macdonald), naive and passionate, and Elizabeth (Emily Winter), scheming and ambitious, as they face sexism, sectarianism, patriarchal expectations and the threat of each other. Macdonald, best known for her work on Spooks, is a stand out in a strong ensemble, filling Mary with a quiet determination that offsets her more emotion driven nature. Kudos to Macdonald for mastering the Scots dialect with a French accent. Credit must also be given to Ann Louise Ross, who makes a feisty Corbie, the witty narrator who knows how things must end, and Liam Brennan, who encapsulates everything that was so appealing and terrifying about the legacy of John Knox. If I have one complaint about the acting, it is for Emily Winter, who seems to be playing Elizabeth like Miranda Richardson in Blackadder II. It's a good performance, and she excels in the scenes as Mary's servant Bessie, but it feels unsuited to this particular interpretation of the character, a scheming, proto-Thatcher politician who can and will rise to any challenge. The action lags a little in the second act but not so much that it detracts the audience from the story.

What struck me most about this production was its sense of immediacy. With Scotland's current political and religious climate, Lochhead's text feels all too current, a full on in-yer-face reminder that our troubles may not have changed much in the interim 500 years. Corbie introduces our country as a place where the national past-time is nostalgia (even today, there are pictures of Mary Queen of Scots' face on the side of buses in Edinburgh - her use as a symbol of patriotic pride despite our previous efforts to wipe her from our historical landscape do not escape Lochhead) but this is definitely not the Scotland of our tourism friendly pictures. Set to a scrapyard-like backdrop, populated with a mixture of historical and contemporary items (a John Knox statue with a traffic cone on top - a common site around the city and one I enjoy far too much), the audience is never allowed to forget the universal troubles of religion, politics and sexism that still plague our world today. Indeed, the famous final scene still feels as daring as ever as it serves to remind us of the continuing damage Sectarianism has on our society. Don't go in expecting a traditional period piece!

After a somewhat underwhelming start to the season with Wondrous Flitting, the Lyceum is back on characteristically strong form with a tightly directed production, each part working in harmony like a well oiled machine. The production (done with the Dundee Rep, yet another wonderful production to add to their acclaimed ensemble) packs a punch and prods the audience to remember that the stain of Sectarianism still exists today and hundreds of years of grudges won't disappear overnight. I know a few football fans who could do with seeing this play.

4/5.

More information for the production is available here. The production will transfer to the Dundee Rep from 19th October - 5th November. Details for that are available here.

(Side note: I actually have my copy of the play signed by Lochhead and may take a photo of it to post here later to be smug about if anyone's interested.)

"Futureproof." Traverse Theatre.

Writer: Lynda Radley

Director: Dominic Hill

Length: 95 minutes (Approx.)

6th-28th August 2011.

Dominic Hill's final piece as artistic director of the Traverse theatre comes as something of a nostalgic turn for me. Hill, whilst in charge of the Dundee Rep, directed the very first proper play I ever saw, 2007's bizarre and utterly chaotic production of "Peer Gynt." While Lynda Radley's 2nd play "Futureproof" has some of that bizarre content, it's a much more controlled piece rooted in the base human emotions, seeking to explore our own voyeuristic curiosity through the setting of travelling freak show Riley's Odditorium, made up of an intersexed individual, a pair of conjoined twins, an armless bearded lady, a fat man and the mermaid 'novelty act.' The show has suffered through some hard times, with the sad realisation that times are changing; their kind of magic is no longer looked upon with wonder and curiosity but revulsion, and if they are to survive, they must adapt, changing the outside but still suffering with what's inside.

For his Traverse swansong, Hill has assembled a strong cast (in partnership with Dundee Rep, Scotland's only professional theatre ensemble) who wear their roles as if they had been playing these characters for many years, balancing family dynamics with the politics of the work and their statuses as outsiders to humanity, be it through choice or birth. While the entire cast was strong and worthy of acclaim, Natalie Wallace as the silent Serena deserves particular attention for evoking so much emotion and energy without saying a word. Each character has their faults exposed fully to the audience, giving them the humanity the world of the play has denied them. The world the circus inhabits (represented by a small campsite on a dust covered stage) looks as worn and lived in as the old, ragged costumes the performers wear, the literal crumbling relic to the metaphorical one of the travelling show.

Radley's book, while in need of a little polishing, carefully keeps the balance of morbid humour and very human tragedy, not unlike the freak shows of old. While the book occasionally summarises the key themes of the play with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer (and the thread of intersexed George/Georgina is evidently weaker than the other characters's stories, and the topic less skillfully handled), Hill's direction keeps a tight rein on events, with creative staging and moments that evoke works such as Tod Browning's infamous horror movie "Freaks" and even some of the more train-wreck worthy modern day reality TV shows. The audience is always aware that they are watching something unfold that will inevitably turn disastrous, and that we may be partly to blame for what's to follow, even though it's impossible to turn away. My only real complaint with Hill's work is the play's ending, where certain directorial decisions clumsily overdo what could have been a powerful climax.

Once again cementing the Traverse's reputation for high quality original work, "Futureproof" is a piece of work both Radley and Hill can be proud of. While there are a few bumps on the road, this all too human tale of outsiders, change and our obsessive standards of beauty and what is normal is a worthy addition to the Fringe's line-up. It's the right mix of style and substance and a fitting high note for Hill to end his time at the theatre.

4/5.

"Futureproof" will move to the Dundee Rep after its time in Edinburgh, from 31st August to 10th September. Details are available here. You can buy tickets for the Edinburgh performances here.

"Wondrous Flitting." Lyceum Theatre at the Traverse.

Writer/Director: Mark Thomson

Length: 90 minutes

5th-28th August 2011 (currently still in previews.)

The Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh starrts its 2011/12 season with the world premiere of a darkly comic story of faith, existential angst and a flitting holy house appearing in a Glaswegian council estate. Aimless 24 year old slacker Sam's quiet morning is abruptly disturbed when a wall crashes into his living room, one he soon discovers to be part of the mythical flitting holy house in Loreto, believed to be the house in which the Virgin Mary lived. Taking this as a sign (although a sign of what, he can't be sure), Sam ventures out into the world to figure out why this happened to him and what it means for him.

While "Wondrous Flitting" is billed as a dark comedy, it frequently takes steps into a more sentimental tone, one which doesn't always pay off. The play is at its strongest when tackling the sheer absurdity of the situation, and Sam's reactions to it. The varied cast of characters are all played by Liam Brennan and Molly Innes, who display great range and play the hell out of all their roles, even when the writing lets them down. The ragtag group of characters Sam meets on his pilgrimage of sorts, ranging from two smart mouth kids to a psychotic dentist to a philosophical church cleaner, provide several laugh out loud moments but seldom reach the deeper emotions Thomson seems to be striving for, and their contributions to Sam's journey are very hit-or-miss. Brief glimmers of social commentary appear, especially when Sam meets a pair of neds not unlike the people shown on the train-wreck docudrama "The Scheme", but never really come to fruition. While the play itself is rather uneven, with the dialogue occasionally sounding extremely convoluted, the ambiguity of faith is consistent (although I can't imagine how one would present such a topic in a manner other than ambiguously) but the abruptness of the ending may leave many dissatisfied. Thomson's direction is solid, with simple yet effective staging, although the choice of flickering, static-like light to signal every scene change did become grating very quickly. One does wonder, after seeing the preview with the seating on stage, how the play will work when playing to full auditoriums, since it feels more suited to an intimate setting.

The real strength of the play is Grant O'Rourke's performance as Sam. O'Rourke manages to strike a perfect balance between bewilderment and wide-eyed hope, making Sam an amiable and extremely sympathetic hero. A jobless outsider with no real drive, Sam takes the appearance of the wall in his house as the ultimate sign and jumps at the change to change his life, even if he has no idea what he's doing. While he verges precariously close to hammy at points, O'Rourke makes Sam someone who you can't help but want to succeed in his journey for answers, even though it becomes obvious very quickly that there are none and may never be any.

While "Wondrous Flitting" is often very entertaining and is elevated by its trio of wonderful performances, the play itself is a more mixed bag, never quite scaling the ambitious heights Thomson hints at. The production is often very entertaining, but it's a more lightweight one than possibly intended. The Lyceum's new season doesn't quite start with a bang, but the promise is evident.

3/5.