There is plenty going on, however, this is also a surprisingly slapdash affair. Director John Binnie brings out strong flourishes of storytelling from the ensemble only to let them wither towards the punch line.
While you might not burst a gut laughing at the shenanigans and familial infighting on show, there’s no doubting there’s plenty to enjoy here in a family farce pitched somewhere between Charmed and Carla Lane sitcom Bread.
Throw in a decapitated head in a freezer, a mad Irish granny, a new priest and local hitman as well as impeccable performances from the female-heavy cast, and we’re onto a winner.
Dillon’s text is full of hilarious one-liners and bold black comedy, and John Binnie’s production – for Dillon’s new touring company Goldfish Theatre – assembles a stellar cast.
It still pays dividends in the funny confrontation between sisters and priest, but its claim to be a guaranteed popular hit does not look as watertight.
It makes for a merry, but uneven evening.
Six Black Candles revives adaptation of Des Dillon novel
Six Black Candles--Des Dillon's witches of Coatbridge
Six Black Candles
On Tour, from Wednesday April 6, 2011, until Sunday May 22, 2011.
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