Joy Watters reviews Pitlochry's latest musical production.
Pitlochry raises a glass to the water of life in its opening production of the season. One of the contenders in the 2007 Highland Quest competition for a new Scottish musical, it has been augmented over the years. With book and lyrics by Euan Martin and Dave Smith and music by James Bryce, it did on the face of it seem an excellent choice for the theatre in the hills to launch its second season of work by Scottish writers.
It tells the tale of the Glenigma distillery, which is facing closure, and the battle by current owner, the daughter of the man who let it decline, to keep it going. She decides the only way to tackle their mounting debts is to auction the last bottle of their famous 100-year-old single malt.
A bidding war between two rich whisky lovers, an American and a frail old Japanese who sends his young son, is played out at the distillery with some intervention from a formidable German who envisages a whisky theme park.
It starts off at a cracking pace in the heart of New York moneyland, promising much with crisp music and movement. However, as the piece progresses it seems to have had a dram too many as it slows down and the internal dynamic is lost. No racial stereotype is left unturned, particularly the Scots with some good-natured joshing at the expense of the latter.
Mairi Morrison as the distillery owner seems ill at ease in the central role, but she also steals the show with a beautiful unaccompanied rendition of a Gaelic song, showing where her talents really lie. The song stands as a beacon amongst the rest of the music, which is jolly enough but not particularly memorable.
Whisky Kisses was warmly received by a packed matinee audience and is an ideal kind of afternoon tea of a show but not really a sustaining meal.
The Pitlochry ensemble, under the direction of John Durnin who also does the honours here, has previously shown how it excels at musicals with a clutch of wonderful productions under its belt. A cast does need material to weave its magic and this is somewhat threadbare, particularly in the second half where a drunken impromptu ceilidh is dragged out.
It does have its moments and there is always the delight of seeing the cast pick up their musical instruments and join the band.
Runs in repertoire until October 18
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