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Fringe 2008 Reviews (89)
Global Warming is Gay
By Ian Heggie
Off Message Theatre Company
C Central
****
Ian Heggie has halved the length of this comedy for the Fringe and
directs an enthusiastic young company himself.
Global Warming is Gay is an extremely funny satire on the politics
and business of being Green. It starts with a monologue from a Green
MSP, Fraser Boyle in suit and sandals as Graham Orbison. He might have
a few too many sexual skeletons in his cupboard but talks a great game
on the Green agenda.
We then switch to his brother Andy (Graham Anderson) and his girlfriend,
Charlene Boyd's Kirsty. They put saving the ozone layer above any other
priority.
Like every other character, they express their emotions volubly, which
means that their language is ripe and likely to offend or amuse as the
case may be.
Using every penny of Kirsty's father's money, the young couple are
taken to the cleaners by Harry Gooding as environmental auditor Russell,
who is a conman of the first order. The cast is completed by Andy's
temperamental ex, O played by Sarah McRae, and Kirsty's cynical brother,
Darran Lightbody playing Derek.
Global Warming is Gay is at times absolutely hilarious and works
well both as an exposé of the excesses that can occur in the
name of the ozone layer and a comedy of manners looking at our society
today.
Ian Heggie is a fine and at times ruthless Scottish playwright and
it would be great if his prolific body of work could head south occasionally
or, even better, regularly.
Philip Fisher
Married to the Sea
By Shona McCarthy
Dragonfly Theatre
Assembly Rooms.
*****
Shona McCarthy has written a real rarity for the brash Edinburgh Fringe,
a play of great subtlety exploring the feelings of a child of around
7 or 8 with problem parents.
Set amongst the Claddagh people of Galway, a class of fisherfolk with
gypsy tendencies who distinguish themselves from townies, the focal
point is feisty, inquisitive little Jo played with great tenderness
by Siobhán Donellan.
She is a daddy's girl, loving her chance to go on the boat owned by
her father, Fiachra Ó'Dubhghaill. This talented actor also plays
every other character apart from Mammy. He thus has the opportunity
to demonstrate considerable character acting skills as a mad granny,
little boy and nosy neighbour amongst others.
While daddy is "off on long ones", trips of several days'
duration that turn out to have more to do with an exotic gypsy than
filling the hold of his fishing vessel, Mammy, played by Carla Bredin,
consoles herself with the bottle.
Shona McCarthy's skill is in showing not only how Jo gradually learns
about the vicissitudes of the adult world but also how she reacts and
her efforts to hold the family together, which are simultaneously amusing
and desperately sad.
This is a lovely wistful play, well directed by the author that should
herald a big future for Miss McCarthy and also this impressive acting
trio.
Philip Fisher
A Gypsy Prayer for the South
Pro Art & Co
C Central
*
This Balkans-inspired musical, performed by a small cast wearing Madonna-style
headsets, is almost surreal in its awfulness. So much so that at times
I wondered if David Lynch was perched at the back, constructing some
kind of play within a film. There’s not really any plot to talk
about so here are some of the highlights: actors in various modes of
fancy dress wandering around the stage not looking at each other; a
woman in a gold bodysuit frequently meditating in the back corner; two
contemporary dancers (identifiable by their baggy cropped trousers and
casual tops) making random chorus-style interjections of movement every
so often; an angry woman with a skirt round her neck; a spotlight that
is always slightly askew of the actors. There are snippets of English
dialogue, but they don’t last long enough to expose what’s
going on, although it seems to involve an illegitimate child. Perhaps
if you speak Roma you will fare better? No such luck. The production
is in seven languages including Italian, French and Spanish, for no
apparent reason. Some of the music touches on soulful at times, and
in fairness the cast can sing. But somehow I doubt that even the lucky
few punters fluent in all seven languages will enjoy it any better.
Lucy Ribchester
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