Lorna Irvine reviews Cardinal Sinne (***), part of this year's Glasgay.
More tea, Vicar?
Cardinal Sinne (Grant Smeaton) is due to fly out to Rome and elect the new Pope, but is doorstepped by Frank Devine (Neil Anderson) who claims to be a 'journalist', before revealing that he was molested by Sinne as a young man thirty years ago and his life is now in tatters. Sinne tries to buy him off but Devine refuses, setting about an absurd chain of events. Sinne must dress gauche trainee priest Simon (James McCreight) as a Nun and prove his rampant heterosexuality. Then Sinne's superior Monsignor Papaleo (Callum Cuthbertson) turns up and Sinne must juggle several balls (steady) in the air at once.
Subtle, it ain't. Were it not for references to Brazilian waxings, the Terrorist Act and certain casual sex apps, you would swear Brian Rix would appear, mug at the audience and his trousers would fall down. This is pure, old-fashioned farce. Such a format is both blessing and curse: the former, giving Grant Smeaton a chance to have fun with an excellent performance where just a flash of his eyes or slight inflection in his voice is hilarious; the latter, an excuse for obvious gags - people getting shoved in and out of closet doors, silly exaggerated gendered voices. Even the wonderful Pauline Goldsmith falls short as prudish housekeeper Mrs McCandlish, her OTT performance grating as the second half develops.
Yet there is much to enjoy- Sinne is a bastard son, were it possible, of the Rev I M Jolly and Mrs Robinson. Raymond Burke's writing, although inconsistent, has real zingers, with lines to make the late Frankie Howerd blush. Sinne's soliloquies with mood lighting are suitably tense, with a Greek Chorus/congregation judging his every move. The ethical battle of wills between Papaleo and Sinne is intelligent and the end twist very witty. It just all feels too gentle and a little hard to swallow (ooh-er)--satire should hit harder (arf arf). I know Smeaton's got it in him (Good God).
Cardinal Sinne performs at Tron Theatre until November 1.
RSS