Theatre review: The Margaret Sinclair Story

Not an awful lot happened in the life of Margaret Sinclair. She made dresses, worked on her allotment and decided to become a nun.

Archbishop Leo Cushley with Maryfrances and Stephen

Star rating: ***

Venue: St Patrick’s Church, Cowgate (Venue 408)

She has already been declared venerable by the Vatican and the congregation of St Patrick’s pray for her to be fully canonised on the first Monday of every month.

Here, in her parish church, alongside her tomb, a young theatre company have recreated her life. Maryfrances Jennow has a quiet soft energy as Margaret while writer Stephen Callaghan has recreated her turn of the century working class speech. Life in the Edinburgh slums at the turn of the last century is lovingly evoked just streets away from where the events described took place.

To an outsider Margaret didn’t seem to do a lot, apart from grow vegetables, try to stay cheerful and fall in love with Jesus. But to her followers, it is the ordinary everyday quality of her life which makes her special. The response of the audience lining the pews of St Patrick’s is undeniable. For many it is an emotional experience to see their saint brought to life before their eyes.

Until 12 August.

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