The Traverse should be a staple of one’s Fringe diet. After all, they began life as a fringe venue, and they usually secure some of the best productions each year. The Traverse has a world-wide reputation for being one of the premier new writing theatres and has a tendency of discovering new writers or fresh talents from established scribes.
So, it’s rather odd that a number of this year’s crop are let down by their scripts.
Take Futureproof (***). Anyone versed in Scottish theatre news knows this production is a big deal, for it is artistic director Dominic Hill’s final production before taking the helm at the Citizens in Glasgow. On top of that, it is done in partnership with Dundee Rep, the theatre Hill ran prior to going to the Traverse. So, in many ways, it is the perfect send off to his new post.
And Hill has created a great production. Beautiful to look at and imaginatively staged, Futureproof is constantly enjoyable. Hill is assisted by members of Dundee Rep’s fine ensemble, all of whom perform excellently, individually and as an ensemble.
However, Lynda Radley’s script isn’t up to everyone else’s talent. That isn’t to say she’s written a poor script; she hasn’t. There are some good scenes and characters. But the set-up, about circus freaks who, in a plan to drum up business, decide to become normal, behooves a TV comedy skit or even perhaps a one-act, but not a full-length play in its current form.
There’s a similar problem with the National Theatre of Wales and Told By An Idiot’s The Dark Philosophers (***). Energetically staged and performed, it takes writer Gwyn Thomas’ life and work and puts them onstage with good cheer, rousing musical numbers and a brilliant labyrinth of wardrobes for a set.
It might work for people familiar with the stories, but I myself had never heard of Thomas, so I found the disjointed treatment of the characters confusing. Some story threads go nowhere and others unravel at such a slow pace that it’s hard to remember facts. Right when you start getting a handle on something, the play goes in a new direction, making it all but impossible to invest in what’s at stake for the key characters.
Still, there is a great deal to admire, especially Paul Hunter’s imaginative staging and a rock-solid ensemble that are always a joy to watch. It has also sparked a personal interest to find out more about Thomas and his work. If that was the overall objective, then mission accomplished.
Perhaps the greatest heartache for the Traverse comes with Grid Iron’s What Remains (***). Grid Iron has prided itself in creating site-specific productions that work as both visual wonders and as involving dramas. With this, they got one out of two right.
Set in a music school, the production works brilliantly as a theatrical installation or as a haunted house. As a play, however, it’s unfortunately off key. There is a short story that is available online which delves more into a background story. It’s just a shame that dramatic context is the sole thing missing, making this more of a miss than a hit.
If reviews were solely based on a play’s script, Wondrous Flitting (**) would rank as this year’s worst production. Mark Thomson’s poor excuse of a text is almost painful to experience: it has annoying characters and a scattered plotline that only manages to frustrate.
And yet it has three excellent performances. Grant O’Rourke, Liam Brennan and Molly Innes make magic out of manure by managing to be engaging and often hilarious, creating a somewhat theatrical miracle by almost managing to make the 90-minute play tolerable. Almost.
But not all is lost. The Traverse also has The Wheel (****), a play where what is dropped in coherence is gained in passion.
As war breaks out in Spain, a rural community is thrown into chaos. Weddings are abruptly stopped, old quarrels are inflamed and the military’s power and influence is quickly on the rise. In the confusion, a little girl is abandoned by her recently banished father. Charged with returning her, a woman must traverse battlegrounds and war zones. Working as a reverse Mother Courage, the further she goes, the more parentless children she acquires.
Does it all make logical sense? Not really. As the woman travels further she seems to cross space as well as time, finding herself in the middle of more recent conflicts, and the ending, in many ways inevitable, is more about raging against the endless cycle of warfare than in providing a satisfying conclusion.
But so what? As a drama for the intellect and emotions, it works rather well. Vicky Featherstone has created a memorable production with spirited performances, and Zinnie Harris’ script is rich in both character and dialogue. It doesn’t provide easy answers or a satisfying conclusion; as a drama about the effects of warfare, that is absolutely the right choice.
Futureproof, The Dark Philosophers, Wondrous Flitting and The Wheel perform at the Traverse at alternating times. What Remains performs at the Medical School. Check with the Traverse for specific details.
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