Theatre review: The Glimmering Nymph

Published on Tuesday 13 October 2009 18:57

THE GLIMMERING NYMPH **** ORAN MOR, GLASGOW

THIS week's show in the Play, Pie and Pint lunchtime season comes with a special note of explanation and sympathy from producer David MacLennan; and following last week's tragic events at Erskine Bridge, it's hardly surprising.

Set on the Vasterbron Bridge in Stockholm, a leading Swedish location for suicides, Sandy Nelson's new play – scheduled many months ago – is built around a dialogue between two people who meet one night on the parapet, both determined to jump to their deaths.

Per is a 40-year-old would-be artist who has spent eight years in a routine job he despises just to please his girlfriend, but who has come home from his office Christmas party to find her having sex with one of his friends.

Dubrilla is a beautiful girl in her early twenties, who just can't stand the world's callous indifference to suffering. Both of her committed, campaigning parents are dead, and she has found peace in the idea that her life will soon be over.

Over a remarkably rich 50 minutes, these two explore their reasons for despair in a discussion that rages over politics and religion, grief and anger, love and sex, and the whole lamentable state of the world; and because Nelson has an irrepressible gift for comedy, there are also many moments of fierce verbal humour, satirical, nave, or absurd.

In the brief span of this play – which is beautifully directed by Julie Ellen – Nelson himself as Per, and Ailsa Courtney as Dubrilla, take us on an extraordinary tour of the strange, nihilistic inner landscape of our time.