The Mill Lavvies was first performed at Dundee Rep Theatre in 1998 to sell-out audiences and critical acclaim.
Set in the early 1960’s in a Dundee jute mill we follow five men as they escape the work, noise and drudgery of the shop floor, sharing stories, banter and their dreams in the sanctuary of the mill lavvies over a typical working day. The Mill Lavvies features Dundee’s own, Michael Marra’s much loved songs including ‘If Dundee was Africa’ and ‘Big Wide World Beyond the Seedlies’. Read more …
The language is funny and couthy, but lacks the dash of pure, surreal poetry that makes John Byrne’s vernacular Scots so memorable; all the characters except Archie are predictable, and the play struggles to create narrative tensions that will sustain it, even for a bare two hours. Yet on Alex Lowde’s clever, super-naturalistic set – a huge barn of a space featuring toilets, washbasins and a cloakroom area, plus a huge spinning skylight ventilator through which we sense the noise and thrash of the mill – none of that seems to matter much, to the audience who pack the theatre.
It's a minor comedy made special by the songs of Michael Marra, given spirited performances by the six actors in Andrew Panton's good-hearted production.
Andrew Panton's solidly assured production.
Chris Rattray’s play is mildly amusing rather than hilarious, but the cast...give it generous performances.
Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee from Thursday August 30, 2012, until Saturday September 29, 2012. More info: www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk
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