A Traverse Theatre Company and Raw Material co-production in association with Regular Music.
I booked my tickets for this months ago. I expected it to be outstanding (after all Cora Bissett rarely puts a foot wrong and is my favourite Scottish Director). But that, as we all know, is what jinx’s things. So I was nervous that this ran the very strong risk of self-indulgence.
But no. This is not self -indulgent.
Neither is it self- aggrandising (another huge risk as it’s Cora’s story of her sudden burst into fame in her teens as lead singer of Fife band, The Darlinghearts).
Whether it’s Orla O’loughlan’s deft direction, Cora’s beautiful writing, Grant O’rourke’s hysterical interjections in a host of cameo roles (or those of fellow cast, and band, members Susan Bear and Simon Donaldson) it’s hard to say because they all add up to a package that will fill your heart with joy before filling your eyes with tears.
It’s contemporary Scottish theatre at it’s mightiest. It’s right up there with Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour and The Strange Undoing of Prudentia Hart. But where it takes a further step is where it leaves the comedy and the music behind (brilliant as that is) and steps into personal territory on multiple levels. I won’t say why for fear of spoiling it for you.
It certainly brought out the inner girl in me. And made me proud to ‘be a girl’. (When you see it you’ll understand.)
And by the way, Grant O’rourke can pluck a bass guitar like the best of them.
I’m a little surprised this isn’t an NTS show because it, like the above mentioned NTS hits, it could have a long life on the road, unlike its protagonist in her Darlinghearts days. I hope it will anyway. Not so I can see it again (I’ve already bought another 6 tickets you see).
No, so YOU can see it. In London. In New York. In Kirkaldy.
It’s peculiarly Scottish, but it’s unquestionably universal.
And it’s a national treasure. Just like our Cora.