Isla Cowan

Alright Sunshine

03/08/25

Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome), Edinburgh

Edinburgh playwright Isla Cowan is making quite a name for herself in Scottlish theatre – and it’s easy to see why. We’ve watched two of her previous pieces (2023’s And… And… And… and 2024’s To Save the Sea) and been mightily impressed; today’s production of Alright Sunshine is even better: an intense monologue about being a woman, being a police officer, and the darkness lurking behind sunny days on the Meadows. 

PC Nicky McCreadie (Molly Geddes) is dedicated to her job. It comes first: before her family, before her relationships, before her health (who has time for eggs for breakfast when there’s a Greggs on the way to work?). Her dad was polis too, and she’s determined to be the kind of officer he’d be proud of… if he were alive. She’ll be as strong, as focused, as brave as he always urged her to be. She won’t give in to her feelings. She won’t cry. She won’t be weak like her mum. She won’t be a girl.

Directed by Debbie Hannan, Cowan’s taut, almost poetic script is brought powerfully to life by Geddes’ mesmerising performance: a tour de force with real emotional heft. The playful, observational tone of the opening sections – where the park’s ‘timetable’ is humorously detailed – is skilfully undercut by the gradual disclosure that all is not okay in PC Nicky’s world. She’s seen too much, given up too much, suppressed too many emotions in her bid to be the perfect policewoman. Now that carefully-constructed carapace is breaking apart and she has no idea what she’s supposed to do.

It would be a crime to reveal any more than this; suffice to say that this is a compelling play with an important message at its heart. If you can watch it without giving in to your feelings, without crying, without being a girl, then you probably need to talk to someone. Soon.

5 stars

Susan Singfield

To Save the Sea

10/10/24

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

If ever I were asked to compile a list of ‘unlikely ideas for a musical,’ the story of the Brent Spar oil rig might well up there towards the top. How could such a tricky subject, set in such a obscure location, ever be convincingly staged? Well, this rousing production, written and directed by Isla Cowan and Andy McGregor is an object lesson in how to make such a venture work – a heartfelt polemic, for sure, but a supremely entertaining sung-through musical at the same time. And you don’t have to be a committed activist to appreciate the importance of what happened back in 1995 – and to realise that not enough has changed since then.

Many will remember the story of the decommissioned Brent Spar, which (largely as a cost-cutting exercise) was scheduled to be blown to bits by its owners, Shell, before being consigned to the depths of the North Atlantic, where it would cause untold damage to the ecosystem. But the company’s plans came to the attention of a team of Greenpeace activists, who sailed out from Shetland, climbed aboard the rig and steadfastly refused to leave, even after being repeatedly blasted by water cannon.

In this version of events, the names of the protagonists have been changed. Team leader Karl (Matthew McKenna) is driven by his desire to do the right thing for the environment. He’s backed up four others: feisty rich girl, Engel (Katie Weir), whose parents made a lot of money from fossil fuels; student, Colin (Nathan French), who has impulsively abandoned his University studies in order to go on this mission; journalist with a conscience, Brianna (Kaylah Copeland), who has promised to do everything she can to bring this matter to the public’s attention; and stay-at-home mum, Rachel (Kara Swinney), taking a break from her domestic duties to make a stand for ‘something that matters.’

Together the disparate team sail out to the rig and prepare to face the opposition.

Meanwhile, a scheming triumvirate of Shell executives, Rupert (David Rankine), Karen (Helen Logan) and David (Ewan Somers), are determined to end the occupation as quickly as possible. This could cost them a lot of money! The trio are played as comic relief to the action, drawing up their dastardly plans almost in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan villains, romping around in a variety of costumes and occasionally breaking away to embody real life characters. Somers does a hilarious job of embodying John Major as (trust me) you’ve never seen him before, while Logan briefly dons a bald pate to impersonate German chancellor, Helmut Kohl.

Claire Halleran’s impressive set design convincingly evokes the rugged location and this is accentuated by Fraser Milroy’s sound and Simon Wilkinson’s lighting. The songs (also by Cowan and McGregor) are uniformly impressive, all majestic chords and soaring vocals. All the performers have impressive ranges and, when the five protestors join together in powerful harmony, the results are nothing short of spectacular. A scene where Rachel proudly proclaims the importance of her new-found role is particularly moving and I have to confess to having something in my eye by the time Swinney reaches the final chorus.

This is only at the Traverse for a couple more nights before moving on to tour a series of Scottish locations through October, finishing up in Inverness on November 2nd. If you can get seats, I urge you to make the effort. To Save the Sea is a deeply committed and ultimately moving piece of musical theatre with an important message to deliver.

4.6 stars

Philip Caveney

And… And… And…

07/10/23

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Though still at high school, Cassie (Caroline McKeown) is already a committed eco-warrior, working tirelessly to organise regular beach clean-ups in her locality. She takes every opportunity to lobby big corporations to plead on behalf of environmental causes and lately has even taken to making her own clothes from natural fibres. But as the climate change disasters inexorably mount, she finds herself increasingly obsessed with the subject. And it’s an obsession that threatens to overpower everything else in her life.

Meanwhile, Cassie’s best friend, Claire (Tiana Milne-Wilson), has her own pressing issues to contend with. Her mother is steadily succumbing to a deadly lung disease after years of smoking cigarettes and is no longer able to work. The final demands for rent and electricity are coming in on an almost daily basis and Claire desperately needs to find a paying job. The only possibility she’s discovered is the chance to apply for an apprenticeship at a locally-based multi-national plastics manufacturer, a company that she knows Cassie openly despises.

Isla Cowan’s And… And… And… is a topical story from Strange Town Theatre, one that isn’t afraid to address the horrifying scale of its central premise and to openly accept the impossibility of finding an easy solution – indeed, there’s a strangely satisfying meta-twist in this tale that comments on its own artificiality, the very idea of finding an ‘answer’ within the confines of a fifty-minute play.

The two leads give compelling and nuanced performances and the duo’s friendship feels utterly palpable. This is a youthful and exuberant approach to the subject, created for and by the generation who have been handed the poisoned chalice of a devastated planet. The frustration they feel is written large. Katie Innes’s simple but effective stage design is created mostly from heaps of detritus, an approach that serves as a constant reminder of the play’s theme, while Steve Small handles the direction with aplomb.

The play’s conclusion – that everyone needs to do whatever they can to reduce their personal carbon footprints and work together towards a more optimistic future – may not be exactly earth-shattering, but nevertheless, it comes through loud and clear.

4 stars

Philip Caveney