"Two Nations. Like oil and water, they cannot mix." Read more …
Union tells the story of the original Union of Scotland and England in 1707 as you’ve never heard it before.
Tim Barrow’s play is an energetic and highly theatrical romp through the raucous leaking taverns off the Royal Mile, Kensington Palace and the Scottish Parliament.
Union is rich in famous historical figures such as Daniel Defoe and Queen Anne, as well as our great Scottish poet - Allan Ramsay - who finds love in Grace, a prostitute in the bawdy and dangerous world of Eighteenth Century Edinburgh.
It's a shame that such great potential becomes a missed opportunity to act as a clear theatrical voice as the referendum approaches.
Mark Thomson's cast show flashes of inspiration, but tonally it's all over the place, swerving between serious costume drama and pantomimic satire. And although the fate of two nations is in the balance, it's surprisingly easy to forget what's at stake.
Bawdy, fun and timely, this just needs to work out how to end.
A lively and engaging journey back to the historical moment that did as much as any other to define the UK.
A brave attempt, compelling in parts, and a partial success.
This reviewer was certainly left with the feeling that the subject matter, the excellent cast and above all the audience, deserved far better.
The result is history not as tragedy, not as farce, but as dodgy pantomime.
Tim Barrow’s first full-length play approaches the vivid history behind the choice Scotland now faces with such vigour and boldness, and such powerful flashes of poetry and insight, that everyone in Scotland who cares about the nation’s future should see it and then argue about it, far into the night.
Union should be remembered as a brave and brazen play which was sometimes impressive, often ungainly and constituted of parts that didn’t quite fit together. In those respects, some might say, it bears a striking resemblance to the Union of England and Scotland itself.
‘The Thick of It in tights’ might be a good description for this character-led tale of political intrigue, although the tightrope between humour and drama isn’t so finely-trodden.
A play rich in colour, language and spectacle.
Interview: filmmaker Tim Barrow on his debut play, Union
Tim Barrow's new play on 1707 Act of Union
"Union" Programme Note--25/03/14
Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh from Thursday March 20, 2014, until Saturday April 12, 2014. More info: www.lyceum.org.uk
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