Be near me, Traverse Theatre

Published on Thursday 16 April 2009 09:48

Be near me *****, Traverse Theatre THERE'S a problem with fish out of water. They drown in the air. The National Theatre of Scotland/Donmar Warehouse production of Andrew O'Hagan's novel perfectly demonstrates the dangers of a change of scenery.

Parish priest Father David a lover of fine wine, literature and French cuisine finds himself transferred from his quiet parish in England to the run down scarred economic wasteland of Dalgarnock, an Ayshire town with no jobs, no hope and only sectarianism drugs and drink to provide escape and entertainment.

Working in the local school, he befriends two teenagers becoming drawn towards their brutal vitality so at odds with his own dusty life, and the closer he gets to them the more he sows the seeds of his own eventual downfall.

The cast of old hands and relative newcomers were uniformly were excellent striking a fine line between pathos, tragedy and blackly comic scenes, without letting any one tone overwhelm the story.

Ian McDiarmid, who also adapted the story, was on superb form as the innocent almost childlike figure of Father David, a man whose guileless joy in experiencing life proves his undoing. He gave a beautifully pitched performance balancing the characteristics of a man capable of both captivating and infuriating people in equal measure.

For those who only know Blyth Duff from Taggart, she was a revelation here as the priest's housekeeper. Determined to improve herself and absorb as much as she can from her cultured employer, she also proves to be the only person strong enough to hold a mirror up to his hypocrisy and self-pity.

Richard Madden and Helen Mallon as Mark and Lisa, the two teenagers who lead him into temptation, completely convinced as characters living for the moment and the temporary buzz. Madden in particular brought the confused spirit of a 15-year-boy on the cusp of manhood to life.

Kathryn Howden, David McGranaghan and the two Jimmys, Chisholm and Yuill, all took multiple roles, with Yuill in particular standing out both as the music teacher and in particular the bishop, a role to which he gave real depth rather than the traditional caricature of ecclesiastical authority.

Music played a vital role in this production from hip-hop to Chopin helping to define characters and the sense of place. In particular, the use of the tribal chants of sectarianism transformed into beautiful folk melodies gave a greater sense of their power than can be gathered on a Saturday afternoon on the terraces.

Stage adaptations of novels are notoriously difficult to pull off, but Ian McDiarmid and director John Tiffany have successfully transferred this story form page to stage without losing either its complexity wit or tone. As the character Mark says throughout the play, you've got to choose your team and identity, national, religious, personal and sexual are at the core of this tale.

To encapsulate something so large in two and half hours and still maintain an audiences interest is no mean achievement and certainly one well worth observing.

Runs until Saturday