Restless Natives, The Musical
Eden Court Theatre 29 May 2005
Presented by Perth Theatre, Sympathetic Ink, Wild Yak, And Studio Canal
A new Scottish musical based on a well-loved Scottish film, how exciting. Making a change from the touring popcorn stuff out of London’s West End. Anticipation was high. Was this the new ‘Sunshine on Leith’? As an Essex ‘whoosie’, decamped to the Highlands, and not knowing the original cult film, I was enthusiastic and excited to see what Perth Theatre’s bold decision to launch an in-house tour of Scottish venues was all about. From the programme notes, the large cast and original songs it was obvious that a lot of work and development had gone into the making. Whilst it had enthusiastic performances and great singing, the show somehow failed to live up to its promise. I admit, and so did other members of the audience, I had not seen the original film, but the narrative failed to explain the plot. I got the idea of exploiting American tourists (not unlike the premise of Will Ferrel’s ‘Fire Saga’), but where did the money go? This was not made clear, instead focusing on the back stories of relationships, friends and divided loyalties. And where were the motorbikes? A key part of the poster image. The performances and singing were terrific, especially from Kirsty Maclaren as Margot. And the key roles of Ronnie and Will were performed by Kyle Gardiner and Finlay McKillop, two ‘David Tennants in the making’. Backed up by old hands and new talent the ensemble managed to navigate the furniture and props whilst harmonising and performing choreography. The first half seemed overly long, and the fluttering of mock banknotes on the audience seemed wasted at this stage. Perhaps the finale. The band were under the firm hand of Hilary Brooks and the original songs good but there was no standout song. The set design was fine. I particularly like the road signs that flew in. A curse when you live in the Highlands. The conservative audiences of Inverness reserved their standing ovation and politely applauded, agreeing it was an enjoyable evening out. But not humming a memorable song. A difficult one for the composer Tim Sutton and lyricist Ninian Dunnett. I suspect that the production suffered from a love of the original film and its creators who are behind this production. From a new musical theatre audience perspective, a strong storyline and a winning song are key. But I suspect this is not the end of the journey. It was a great evening to witness the creation of an original Scottish musical, and this may be a sleeper hit returning to the tour circuit every year.
Next stop Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
