Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Four stars
As the artists formerly known as The Smiths bicker over who holds custody of their name, what of the children? What became of the effete youths who found solace and salvation in the band’s miserablist anthems as they came of age?
Theatre director Ben Harrison was one such soldier, as the Smiths appropriated title of his autobiographical mash up of stories and songs from his formative years make clear. As the archetypal small town teenager in search of a cause and a love affair to call his own, Harrison’s fictionalised self portraits recall an awkward young dreamer with stars in his eyes and a habit of falling for older women of twenty-one. Such defining moments are laid bare inbetween breaking into his school to hang communist flags and painting his bedroom red and black.
Set against lighting designer Simon Wilkinson’s wall of wine bar neon in Scott Johnston’s deftly woven together production, Harrison’s Proustian patchwork is knitted together by way of composer David Paul Jones’ reimaginings of leftfield 1980s pop songs. Cellist Justyna Jablonska adds baroque elegance to Jones’ piano led crooning, as he becomes an integral dramatic foil for Harrison, playing assorted angry authority figures before telling his own story of growing up in small town Ayrshire. British Sign Language interpreter Emery Hunter too is incorporated into the action, as her signing becoming a choreographed routine that gives voice to Harrison’s story beyond words.
Combined, this goes beyond what could easily have been presented as a series of cabaret style set pieces to become a more collective rites of passage. As for the show’s title, beyond looking back in languor, Harrison has turned out to be quite a charming man. With this in mind, please, please, please let him get what he wants and make that dream come true.
The Herald, September 21st 2024
ends
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