Oran Mor, Glasgow
Three stars
Doing it clean is an occupational hazard for Muriel and Lorraine, the two twilight hour office cleaners in Rona Munro’s comic contribution to Paines Plough’s mini-season of work that’s formed such a crucial part of Oran Mor’s latest A Play, A Pie And A Pint programme. Una McLean’s Muriel has been dusting down the same four job beat for 35 years, in sharp contrast to Lesley Hart’s would-be singer-songwriter superstar Lorraine, who’s just out of prison on the very un-rock n’ roll charge of assault by lap-top.
When the dead body of their post-it wielding, cowboy boot wearing, six-gun toting nemesis Mr B makes the biggest mess they’ve ever seen, the pair pore over the desks of his colleagues with the zeal of C.S.I. style amateur psychologists. From their own set of confessions are swept up a series of back-stories which set them up as a Thelma and Louise for the dust-pan and brush set.
The broad brushstrokes of Munro’s largely knockabout duologue has Hart and Mclean giving it loads, and such quick-fire irreverence works largely to the play’s favour in George Perrin’s production. Beneath this is an under-current of low-key feminist intentions so things increasingly resemble the sort of double-act routines Munro still knocks out for The MsFits, the duo she formed with actress Fiona Knowles.
Lorraine speaks directly to the audience about her band, her near miss with the big-time and about the goth-friendly state of Aberdeen. Muriel feels similarly trapped by circumstance and geography her own dreams sacrificed for more domestic mundanities. For now, the script is a wash and brush up away from being anything other than throwaway fare, but a pleasant diversion nevertheless.
The Herald, November 13th 2007
ends
Three stars
Doing it clean is an occupational hazard for Muriel and Lorraine, the two twilight hour office cleaners in Rona Munro’s comic contribution to Paines Plough’s mini-season of work that’s formed such a crucial part of Oran Mor’s latest A Play, A Pie And A Pint programme. Una McLean’s Muriel has been dusting down the same four job beat for 35 years, in sharp contrast to Lesley Hart’s would-be singer-songwriter superstar Lorraine, who’s just out of prison on the very un-rock n’ roll charge of assault by lap-top.
When the dead body of their post-it wielding, cowboy boot wearing, six-gun toting nemesis Mr B makes the biggest mess they’ve ever seen, the pair pore over the desks of his colleagues with the zeal of C.S.I. style amateur psychologists. From their own set of confessions are swept up a series of back-stories which set them up as a Thelma and Louise for the dust-pan and brush set.
The broad brushstrokes of Munro’s largely knockabout duologue has Hart and Mclean giving it loads, and such quick-fire irreverence works largely to the play’s favour in George Perrin’s production. Beneath this is an under-current of low-key feminist intentions so things increasingly resemble the sort of double-act routines Munro still knocks out for The MsFits, the duo she formed with actress Fiona Knowles.
Lorraine speaks directly to the audience about her band, her near miss with the big-time and about the goth-friendly state of Aberdeen. Muriel feels similarly trapped by circumstance and geography her own dreams sacrificed for more domestic mundanities. For now, the script is a wash and brush up away from being anything other than throwaway fare, but a pleasant diversion nevertheless.
The Herald, November 13th 2007
ends
Comments