Linlithgow Palace 4 stars There was a glorious informality to this major restaging of the oldest known play in Scotland's dramatic history, presented as part of a major research project involving the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the University of Edinburgh and Historic Scotland. Before a cast of almost forty actors wrestled with the full five hour version of Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount's sixteenth century Scots language epic, they milled about in the sunshine next to the outdoor playing area set against the dramatic backdrop of Linlithgow Palace itself. While some were in full period costume, others, presumably not scheduled to appear onstage for a couple of hours, were in dressed-down modern day civvies. While not deliberate, seeing the centuries brush up against each other so casually gave a hint of just how much Lyndsay's play addresses the here and now of a Scotland on the brink. When the play itself began, with the audience sitting on the grass in
An archive of arts writing by Neil Cooper. Effete No Obstacle.