Festival review: Soddin’ Flodden; Paradise in the Vault (venue 29)

By Sue Wilson
Published on 17/08/2012 15:47

September next year will mark 500 years since the Battle of Flodden, the last and bloodiest encounter between English and Scottish armies, at which the latter, in common parlance – as frequently employed in this history lesson, from the Borders-based Ideoms company – got totally gubbed, with a casualty-list of up to 10,000, including the long-mourned “flower of Scottish nobility”, headed by James IV himself.

Contrary to its snappy title, though, the show mainly charts the chain of events – starting in the previous century, during James III’s reign – that culminated at Flodden.

John Nichol recounts the narrative, speaking and singing in a mix of Scots and contemporary colloquialisms, while switching hats (literally) to play a cast of ten key characters, supported by Lucy Cowan and Hilary Bell on fiddle, guitar and backing vocals.

The various allegiances, fallouts and plots among the factions often prove rather less than enthralling, while attempts to leaven this dryness – with topically rewritten pop hits, for instance – result in a somewhat awkward balance of educational and comic tone, but if you want to brush up before next year’s anniversary, here’s a reasonably entertaining way to do it.

Rating: * * *

Until 19 August. Today 7:30pm.