Review: The Boy and The Bunnet - Glasgow Tron Theatre

ALTHOUGH two years in the making, it’s still early days for The Boy and the Bunnet.Pegged as a Scottish Peter and the Wolf, this charming tale is the perfect vehicle to introduce young (and not so young) audiences to the Scots language and traditional Scottish music.

But while there’s no doubting the polish of the musicians, the composition and the tale, the overall delivery could use some work.

It’s a simple enough tale: a young boy ventures into the woods to retrieve his bunnet, stolen by a “crabbit craw”, hurts his foot and is rescued by granny and the family cat. Writer James Robertson has woven a selkie, majestic stag and mysterious woodland beast into his colourful Scots narrative, adding just the right amount of peril to keep young minds hooked, but not fearful.

Like Prokofiev, composer James Ross has given each character an instrument and melody of their own, from the spirited violin of the young boy to the beautiful clarsach of the selkie.

The animated storytelling of narrator Gerda Stevenson ensured even the trickiest of Scots words were delivered with clarity.

After the 40-minute tale was told, however, the rest of the show (a Q&A and sing-along) felt like padding.

A CD is already available, with a book due next month, so this show will definitely have legs. But more time spent exploring just what these superb musicians – and their instruments – can do would have it off and running.

Rating: ***