Alison Peebles | Bouquets & Brickbats

09/08/26

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Families can be complicated and the Blackwood’s are an excellent case in point. Their matriarch, Vivienne (Alison Peebles), has reached her 80th year. Once a dazzling star of stage and screen, she’s now stricken with incurable cancer and has gathered the various strands of her fractured clan for one last get-together.

Her grandson, James (Angus Yellolees), is super-excited to see his ‘Glam-Ma’ again (he’s always adored her) and he’s even brought along his new pop star girlfriend, Cass (Ruby Glyne), to meet her in person. James’ pompous Uncle Geoff (Gilly Gilchrist) is somewhat surprised when he arrives to discover that his ex-wife, Carol (Liz Kettle), is in residence as Vivienne’s carer… and er… partner?

Geoff’s daughter, Sasha (Rachel Dick), an influencer, has her own surprising announcement to make, while James’ mother, Lily (Hilary Maclean), is still an ardent God-botherer, stalking grumpily around the place, praising the Lord and despairing of the dissolute ways of everybody but herself.

To add to the general confusion, Vivienne’s former husband, Bill (Benny Young), has snatched the time to make a surprise appearance before he sets off to film yet another movie. He’s handy to have around whenever a Shakespeare quotation is needed, which seems to happen quite a lot in this play.

And then Vivienne arrives to tell everybody that this gathering isn’t going to be a glass-of-bubbly-and-a-plate-of-cocktail-sausages affair. Something much more monumental is about to go down…

Morna Young’s After Party is an ambitious piece of absurd comedy, set in the near future to allow for the possibility of its central premise. It’s handsomely located in Richard Kent’s grandiose set, which features lush paintings and red velvet drapes that put me in mind of a 1950s technicolour film. (There’s definitely something of the Elizabeth Taylor/Joan Collins archetype to Vivienne, who seems to revel in making everyone she talks to feel inferior.) But I’m not always entirely convinced by the various twists and turns in this complicated scenario, that require its characters to do and say things that sometimes beggar belief.

Director Katie Posner (of Paine’s Plough) does her utmost to present the various goings on to their best advantage and the second half is definitely stronger than the first but, to my mind, there’s something at the heart of this that doesn’t quite click. This is a shame because the production values of this show are impeccable and there are a lot of talented actors up the stage giving it their all. But they’re essentially playing caricatures and, perhaps inevitably, the overall effect is that I don’t quite buy the package they are trying to sell me.

Nonetheless, this is a timely and thought-provoking production, offering a convincing argument on a divisive issue.

3. 5 stars

Philip Caveney

02/11/21

Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

There’s something decidedly dreamlike about our return to the Lyceum.

It’s been so very long since we’ve entered these hallowed portals and, now that we’re here, we hardly recognise the place. It’s had a major makeover for this play, with a new floor built up over the stalls. The result is a more intimate performance space; this production is presented in the round, with some members of the audience sitting right next to the actors. I’m reminded, more than anything, of the Royal Exchange in Manchester, our old ‘go to’ venue for new and innovative theatre, and this reinvention seems like an astute move on the part of the Lyceum. And if director Wils Wilson doesn’t maximise the reconfigured space’s potential quite as well as, say, Sarah Frankcom might, that’s only to be expected; after all, the Exchange’s artistic directors have had a lot of practice at this!

Life is a Dream is one of those weird seventeenth century fairy tales, written by Pedro Calderon and first staged in Madrid in 1630. This translation, by Jo Clifford (who, coincidentally, is sitting in the row in front of us), is strong on acerbic humour and gender confusion and, while it probably wouldn’t do to think too closely about the bizarre machinations of the plot, the actors’ confidence seems to grows steadily throughout the performance, exerting a powerful grip on the audience.

This is the story of captive prince, Segismundo (Lorn MacDonald), imprisoned in a tower by his own mother, Queen Basilio (Alison Peebles), who once dreamed that her son would turn out to be a tyrant, so decided to be proactive and imprison him just in case. But Segismundo is released by his old tutor, Clotaldo (John McCaulay), and pretty soon, the prince has the opportunity to show that he can be kind and considerate, but, driven half mad by his long imprisonment chooses to do exactly the opposite – until he is told that life is all a dream, and so he should do his best to behave well and stop the nightmares. Then there’s angry, jilted Rosaura (Anna Russell Martin) and her companion, Clarin (Laura Lovemore), the latter of whom keeps breaking the fourth wall to make sarcastic comments about what we’re watching…

Actually, there’s little point in going over the plot in detail, because it’s quite frankly bonkers, but what comes across so powerfully here is the magical feel of the production and the excitement of seeing something new, fresh and innovative. McDonald is terrific as the near feral Segismundo, scampering around the stage, snorting and quivering like a hunted animal, seemingly unable to make a quick decision. Peebles brings a sense of quiet authority to her role as the much misguided Queen of Poland and Russell Martin has a delightful knack for uttering sarcastic asides.

More than anything else, it’s great to back at the Lyceum and this sparky piece makes for a delightful return.

We’re already excited to see what comes next.

4 stars

Philip Caveney