Elizabeth Gordon Quinn Preview

let's hope that the focus remains on the plays rather than the politics of the NTS

Feature by Julie Paterson | 16 May 2006

The NTS (National Theatre of Scotland) raised its curtain for the first time on the 25th February. The only national body to be formed since the Scottish parliament in 1999, it is backed by public funds and has been a dream a long time coming for some. There has been no wasted expenditure on bricks and mortar here though, as the NTS has no place to call home, nor does it have an ensemble of its own (apart from the four actors that comprise its artistic team). Instead it will work in collaboration with Scotland's established theatre companies taking Scottish talent all over the country as well as internationally.

So with most resources going directly into the 2006 programme, all eyes are on the plays themselves - can the company's artistic director, Vicky Featherstone, gain the acclaim she is looking for? This brings us to Chris Hannan's update of 'Elizabeth Gordon Quinn', the national theatre's first major production. The play, which focuses on a dysfunctional and impoverished family during Glasgow's wartime rent strikes of 1915, tells the story of Elizabeth Gordon Quinn who refuses to part with either her piano or her imagined status no matter how bad things get. The production has suffered a major setback with the departure of leading Scots actress Siobhan Redmond from the lead role, which is considered by many to be one of the best female roles in Scottish Theatre. Cara Kelly will now take over as Elizabeth Gordon Quinn in time for the plays opening night at the Dundee Rep on the April 25.

First performed at the Traverse Theatre in 1985, Hannan has updated the contemporary classic by scaling down the political element of the play - organised large scale working class opposition to the profiteering landlords - and has brought out the more personal elements: the slight madness of the family and the delusional tragicomic nature of the heroine. While some may find the elimination of the socialist dimension unfortunate, others may struggle to find resonance with it today, and Hannan brings the play's family dynamic, set this a particular historical context, to the forefront.

Whatever the critical reception to 'Elizabeth Gordon Quinn', let's hope that the focus remains on the plays rather than the politics of the NTS. Undoubtedly many people would love to see some higher profile stars lured back to the Scottish stage, such as the likes of Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton, although Featherstone insists that this will only happen if they are right for the role. Only time will tell if the NTS will live up to expectations but 'Elizabeth Gordon Quinn', as well as other productions in the 2006 programme, including Gregory Burke's 'Blackwatch' and the stage version of John Byrne's cult television series Tutii Frutti, promise to be a good starting point. 

Want to know more? Read our review of Elizabeth Gordon Quinn

Elizabeth Gordon Quinn plays at Glasgow Citizens from May 2-6 and Edinburgh Lyceum from May 31 to June 3.