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Strangers in the Night

Oran Mor, Glasgow

Three stars

 

In the wee small hours, the members of the Full Shilling Social Club gather under cover to share stories and imbibe good whisky. Given that Jimmy and May are the only two members, it’s a pretty exclusive affair, but that is how they like it. The so called retirement village the pair have been decamped to is a pretty good front for such nocturnal activities, even if neither party is being quite as honest as they appear. 

 

May was an actress, and, like anyone of her vintage, has anecdotes aplenty. There’s the one about the wannabe Hollywood starlet with tooth issues for starters. Best of all is the one about meeting Frank Sinatra back stage after ol’ blue eyes’ 1990 show at Ibrox. As for Jimmy, he can match May with gags aplenty. But what will happen if May goes to live with what up until now has been her terminally absent son? And why is she pretty much dress rehearsing her conversations with Jimmy, writing down every bon mot in advance lest she forget the punchline?

 

Alan Muir’s new lunchtime play for A Play, a Pie and a Pint goes gentle into that good night, with William MacBain’s wise cracking Jimmy masking a hidden sadness, while Juliet Cadzow as May channels her own elder stateswoman status to bring out her character’s sense of a life of incident and colour. All this is offset by the youthful spark of Lola Aluko’s nurse, Christine.

 

The result in Cora Bissett’s low-key production is a warm look at how age may wither us, but - more importantly -  how it is still possible to care for each other, wherever you may end up. As things turn out for May and Jimmy, it looks very much like they’ll do it their way.


The Herald, November 20th 2025

 

ends

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