Welcome to Quarry - The Las Vegas of Scotland! Or at least it might be… Read more …
Right now it’s a Saturday night Scottish sea-side town, a dirty weekend for stag-do’s, hen nights and dangerous divorcees.
Life’s an endless one horse race for local betting shop bookie Stevie Gillespie. His love life’s limp, his car’s clapped out and his patter’s pretty poor. He doesn’t know it yet, but all that’s about to miraculously change…
Jonathon Queen’s back in town. Queen, a self-made man with self-made plans and a hundred scores to settle and he’s putting his money where his mouth is by building a brand spanking new casino.
The kilts are off, the chips are down and all you need is a little luck in this fantastic musical tale of love and money, guilt and gambling, tears and tantrums and triumphs.
Quarry’s in for the time of its life and the winner takes it all…
Cumbernauld Theatre’s first ever musical is set to be the latest success for one of the most exciting theatre companies in Scotland. Directed by Ed Robson, Cumbernauld Theatre’s Artistic Director, The Bookie follows on from the highly successful Scottish Tour of Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory and creative collaborations with the most exciting Scottish and International artists that brought critical acclaim for productions such as Dorian Gray with Zofia Kalinska and Oresteia, produced in collaboration with Lazzi Theatre.
Written by acclaimed Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell alongside original live music from Aly Macrae, cutting edge production design from Kenny Miller and a cast of leading performers, The Bookie promises to be one of the most entertaining theatre events of 2010.
(It) might not be the big winner it wants to be, but it does pay out rather handsomely in the end.
The dialogue is gritty and very raw, even a touch much at some points; the pace is good though, with quick-fire interaction.
A show that looks more like an interesting experiment than a finished piece of theatre; although at any moment, given a few judicious cuts, the formula could fizz into shape, and produce something sassy, timely, and remarkable.
The result is an uneven evening, intermittently funny, but failing to hit its potential.
Despite its flaws, there's no refuting that this is a show with heart, and its conclusion is surprisingly satisfying.
More of an accumulator than a sudden windfall, The Bookie builds casually on an underwhelming workshop of an opening act, saving itself from the knacker’s yard if not taking first place.
Although only a small-scale production, The Bookie has all the ingredients to rival the huge shows in London’s West End. All things considered, the show makes for a great night out and promises to be an odds-on Scottish theatre favourite this year.
Bet on the Bookie
The Bookie
On Tour, from Friday September 10, 2010, until Saturday October 23, 2010.
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