The Citizens

Arts Review: Drunk Enough To Say I Love You?

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Dir. Nora Wardell, The Citizens, 28th March – 1st April

Drunk Enough To Say I love You? is a very masculine play, and this is obvious from the moment I walk into the small Circle Studio upstairs at the Citizens Theatre. The audience is greeted by a sparse set that includes a punch bag, guitar case, stereo and mini bar. The lack of stage means I first mistake the two actors for audience members as they pace about the small space. Chairs are placed against the walls around the room, creating a space almost like a boxing ring, which is enhanced by the flashing lights and techno music.

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Arts Review: The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil

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Dir. Joe Douglas, The Citizens, 18th – 22th October

Last Easter, I cycled from Oban to Inverness, spending some time at the outer Hebrides, Glenfinnan, Ben Nevis and the hills near Loch Ness on the way. Even though I’d only been living in Scotland for less than a year, I felt so proud that it was this wonderful country I could call my home. A similar feeling arose while watching Dundee Rep’s performance of The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black, Black Oil by John McGrath. The strength and courage of Scots throughout history was tangible in the Citizens Theatre, generated by impressively diverse performances of the actors, the presentation of powerful images on stage and, most notably, heart wrenchingly beautiful music accompanying most of the action.

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Arts Review: The Absence of War

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Dir. Jeremy Herrin, The Citizens, 31st March-4th April 2015

David Hare’s The Absence of War was first performed in 1993 depicting the internal struggle emerging within a fictionalisation of the Labour party between the old style left and the new pulls to the centre. The frictions and the rhetoric of these ideological struggles makes Jeremy Herrin’s revitalisation ring familiar with our current political environment. Continue reading →