Theatre review: The Stander Gang, C aquila, Edinburgh
The life of Andre Stander, the infamous South African cop turned bank robber, is the subject of this patchy effort from writer-director Will Kirkham.
The Stander Gang, C aquila **
Stander (Kirkham) was arrested in the 1970s, yet escaped prison with two others to form a gang in the 80s. It’s a fascinating story – as evidenced by the excellent 2004 movie, Stander – but Kirkham’s choice to play it as a farce is puzzling.
A couple of scenes almost justify the decision – and the Afrikaans accents from Kirkham, Archie Shields and James Pearson-Miles are sound – but the script isn’t nearly sharp enough and there’s scant attention paid to motivation or character resulting in a patchwork narrative.
RORY FORD
Until 10 August