Written by Douglas Maxwell Directed by Gareth Nicholls Review by Dominic Corr Traverse Theatre - Traverse One : Tickets ★★★★★ There are few other things distinctly Scottish than having your pals over for a takeaway. Catc…
There are few other things distinctly Scottish than having your pals over for a takeaway. Catching up, sharing stories of the 'old days', and putting the world to the right. But what leading playwright and recent CATS-winning DouglasMaxwell does with their latest play, SoYoung, is to capture even more accurately this Scottish catch-up evening gone horribly wrong; that if something can go wrong – it bloody well will.
Davie and Milo have been pals since they were wee, and Davie and Liane have been married sweethearts for just as long. Liane and Milo shared a connection through Milo's wife, Helen, who (very) recently passed due to COVID-19. But there's a fourth person in the room this evening, invited but not welcome by all attending. Greta, Milo's new and much younger girlfriend. With the prawn crackers ignored, the red wine drained, and a bottle of rare and sentimental whisky within reach, the perils of ageing are laid bare in a deftly directed production from GarethNicholls, packed with sharp observational humour, a dose of honesty, and speaks to generations of Scots in a way few others can.
There are no enormous or overly elaborate set dressings (though Kenny Miller's set design is still a cracking piece, effective and broad) or gratuitous violence. The set design, while not extravagant, effectively creates the intimate and familiar atmosphere of a catch-up night. It doesn't need any real bells and whistles to get the comedy over; So Young is quite simply brilliant. Even the exposition within the dialogue is economic—nothing is wasted or put into the world without reason. Even slight gags and quips all mesh into a grander character-building, such as how Greta introduces herself, the choice of drinks, or the thumbing of vinyl records.
LucianneMcEvoy is blisteringly nuanced as Liane, exhausted in life and unable to process the grief of losing their best friends – absolutely torn at the idea of her being 'replaced' by Greta. Their dogmatic protection of Helen's legacy and name goes to extremes of hurt towards all in the room, herself included. And while the audience cannot condone their actions, empathy is tangible in the Traverse space. It's made even more authentic with YanaHarris' subdued – but no pushover – role as Greta. Much of their performance is in the reactions and expressions they share with the cast, or indeed the asides where only the audience can see the frustrations and hurt in Harris' eyes. And how refreshing that Harris, as Greta, playing the 'younger woman' is nothing like the traditional slapstick or groan-worthy fetish some other scripts would write her.
Stereotypes are sidetracked – where the minor truths in them manifest (Davie's immediate draw towards his pals' records), and the characters' dimensions go well beyond the initial gags and set-up. Consistently brilliant, though too often under-utilised, it's affirming and refreshing to see AndyClark as a central element of the show's success; indeed, the entire cast is. And thankfully, to significant effect, Maxwell's script places all characters alone with one another at select times. Some of the most tender elements come from unexpected conversations between Clark and Harris, the two characters with the thinnest connection. Nicholas Karimi does stellar work as Milo, ensuring the audience never fails to judge his actions relating to Helen's passing or his relationship with Greta. And when McEvoy and Karimi fire on all cylinders, the emotional pitch of the show deafens any moment of laughter which preceded with resolute sympathy. But don't worry, there's a good gag around every corner.
That sitcom season finale everyone talks about years later, captured on the stage, the Traverse Theatre, Raw Materials, and Citizen's Theatre'sSoYoung's engrossing and hilarious premise may initially seem textbook, but the expert cleverness in Maxwell's script is the colourful way in which we intrude on the private lives of these four; delivered with some of the finest comedic timing you'll see at this year's Fringe, backed by a stellar ensemble; measured, adept, and bloody hilarious.
Editor for Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Skinny, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, and The Wee Review. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic's Award for Theatre Scotland(CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
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