Jim and Philip are the best of Best Friends. They survived The Pig-Sty together, the Care Home for Kids at the edge of the city. But now Philip has a new mum, not to mention new trainers, a new phone and new everything. All Jim has is a broken zip on his anorak and a terrible secret hidden in his school bag. Nina loves Jason. Jason loves Nina. But Jason is broken, and won’t let anyone fix him. Nina, however, is a not a woman who takes no for an answer. Read more …
Seething with secrets, and darkly funny, this is a play about how people try to fix themselves and each other. And about how scary it is to be loved.
While it is still greater than the sum of its parts, the piece feels more than a little disjointed at times.
It has a vividness, a sharp-edged poetry, and a powerful kinetic energy that makes it a pleasure to watch, and David Betz-Heinemann's production features a series of fine performances, not only from Meg Fraser as Nina, but from Tom Vernal as her helpless husband, and from Stewart Cairns and Conor McCarron as the boys, fighting like animals for some sense of connection to the world, and - at the end - just catching a glimpse of a possible better life.
NEDs' McCarron in pro stage debut
Four Parts Broken at Oran Mor and the Traverse
A Play, a Pie and a Pint, Glasgow from Monday February 21, 2011, until Saturday February 26, 2011. More info: http://playpiepint.com
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh from Tuesday March 1, 2011, until Saturday March 5, 2011. More info: www.traverse.co.uk