Part gig, part road movie, part theatre, Playback presents six young Glaswegians on the cusp of adulthood: Harun, Rhia, Ajay, Alicia, DJ Vu and Shakil. Witness their stories collide. Read more …
The beats. The base lines. The harmonies.
She saw it coming. He didn’t.
Pause. Rewind. Playback.
Cousins and cousins and cousins.
It’s us or them.
This is my bit. Listen.
Transforming the disused space behind the Briggait arts complex into the streets of Glasgow, Playback hurtles its audience through a spectacle of swirling video projections, urban beats and high-energy performance. Playback is a fast-paced exploration of the quest to find oneself in a city teeming with opportunities and threats.
Playback features an ensemble of six professional performers, including Bigg Taj (champion beat boxer) and singer Nikitta (X Factor star 2006), along with the Pangaa Young Company.
Ankur still haven’t quite found their voice - the integration of local detail and the archetypal narrative isn’t complete, but it does feel as if their fusion of community work and ambitious productions is a leading edge within Scottish theatre.
If all the different elements don’t always gel, however, Cunneen and co have nevertheless crafted an admirably bombast-free affair that’s not quite the sum of its parts.
Even at its least satisfying, though, Playback features some fine acting, from Asif Khan as Harun, from Sharita Scott as Rhia, and from a whole new generation of young Glaswegians with electrifying stories to tell, and new voices in which to tell them.
An unremarkable play that has been turned into a remarkable production.
Why this Playback is moving forward
Tron Theatre, Glasgow from Thursday October 14, 2010, until Saturday October 23, 2010. A promenade production at The Briggait. For more details, contact Ankur or Tron.. More info: www.tron.co.uk
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