Tron Theatre, Glasgow
3 stars
Feminism may no longer be the dirty word it became for a while, but
it's vital that the movement's foundations are never forgotten. This
new play from the boldly named Theatre Revolution probably isn't the
most radical vehicle for such a notion, though it's a game enough look
back at the 1960s counter-culture as seen from the sofa by three very
different women.
It's 1969, Vicki is writing for the women's page of a London tabloid,
and is lodging with the bohemian Vivien while being courted by Jack.
Into their lives breezes Ursula, an Australian actress and Vietnam
protestor who buys into hippy ideals more than any of them. Over a
series of episodic scenes, we see them fall out, argue ideology, share
each other's self-absorbtion and spout naive platitudes as only
children of the sixties can.
All of which in Iain McAleese's production of Karen Barclay's script
developed from a devising process looks and sounds like a more
flamboyant and politically inclined take on female flat-share dramas
such as Take Three Girls and The Pleasure Girls that used to pop un on
screens great and small back in the day. In fact, so unremittingly
naturalistic is the play that television would be a far better home for
it than the stage.
If this seems odd given how the play was created, there are some well
observed studies of how both the class and gender wars could so easily
go off the rails, particularly in Frankie MacEachaan's sapphically
inclined Vivien. Too often, however, the lines sound like they're
grafted to an idea that never fully allows them to breathe in a curious
look back in langour.
The Herald, April 5th 2013
ends
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