Outlying Islands (page 141)
Drams
Venue Traverse Venue 15
Address Cambridge St off Lothian Road
Reviewer Thelma Good

Two young ornithologists John, and Robert arrive on the eve of WW2 on one of the wee Outer Scottish Islands in David Greig's new play for the Traverse. They've been asked to survey the now uninhabited island, its migrating birds especially. With them are Kirk, its owner and his niece Ellen. They have come to take birds for food as they do every year.

Laurence Mitchell as Robert the cool scientist and Sam Heughan's slightly younger, less focused John are both compelling performances. They're clean cut specimens of Cambridge academia speaking with 30s English accents though John's from Edinburgh. Both interest Ellen, Lesley Hart, head full of the romance of the movies. Robert Carr's Kirk is the Highland man never giving away much in his few direct words, secured by his life's remoteness and his Christian faith.

Fiona Watt's set of the primitive Chapel where the young men stay makes a Celtic spiral with a grassy cliff top above, with only flames to light it. It becomes clear the island is the fifth actor, pulling them all to their outlying edges.

It is engrossing, Grieg's writing is strong and tight but he hasn't pushed at the boundaries of play structure or layering as he often does. And some like me will miss that challenge from him this time. A good play finely directed by Philip Howard but not a great play.

© Thelma Good 31 July 2002
31 July then 3 - 24 August at various times Not Mondays
Traverse Theatre Company www.traverse.co.uk
Email the company if you wish to buy the published text.