Short Attention Span Theatre @ CCA, Glasgow
Short Attention Span Theatre's four new half-hour plays tackle almost cringing to death, a misogynistic comedian, a disengaged teacher and surviving in post-apocalyptic Glasgow
We're living in a world of instant gratification. Should theatre be any different? Going by Short Attention Span Theatre's latest work, the answer is no. It’s stripped-back nature may allow for short attention spans but begs close attention to the intricacies of writing and acting, and it's a mighty success.
Mortify by Karen Barclay (★★)
Can a person die of embarrassment? With an eccentric relative (Mairi Davidson) who warns of ‘aliens’ whilst denigrating her brother's (Grant McDonald) ‘hyena’ girlfriend, it could happen.
Exploring themes of loss within a family, elements of the plot and funny one-liners – mostly for McDonald ('My chakras are fucked') – are slightly hampered by clumsier moments in the writing. The emotion feels slightly forced, and if not for the generalised hilarity and accented delivery of jokes by McDonald, would have fallen flat.
Delivery by Tom Brogan (★★★)
Failed comedian Jimmy Hay (John Love) teaches stand-up comedy, but on the night of the class showcase only Sharon (Kat Harrison), the pupil he’s ignored for two months, shows up. Hay's an unsavoury character, but once the misogyny hits ('Women just urney funny') so too does the audiences' silence. We root for Sharon, even if she isn’t actually all that funny – because we dislike Hay so much.
Some elements are genuinely funny – Hay's phone call with his mother, and Sharon’s world-weary anecdotes of her children – but despite the intended irony, do we really need to see a another misogynistic argument played out?
When The Penny Drops by Catriona Duggan (★★★★)
Watching Harrison play Penny, an exhausted high school English teacher talk about her ‘foolproof’ method of work survival – ‘disengaging’ – is genuinely one of the funniest, most nostalgic, emotional pieces of theatre I've seen. With the hour rejuvenated by the addition of Lou Walsh, Duggan encapsulates Glasgow high schools in tight, hilarious vignettes. Harrison’s complete change of character displays a strong artistry and ability and begs for a second viewing.
The Last Can by Chris McQueer (★★★)
Lou (Walsh) and John (Love) try their best to survive in a post-apocalyptic Glasgow with only three cans of Irn-Bru, Tennants and Spam. It's entertaining if not a little too silly towards the end. McQueer captures the nuances of Glaswegian characters and only slightly treads the edges of the stereotypes, but Love charms the audience with inflection and comedic timing.
Short Attention Span Theatre returns with six short plays based on the songs of David Bowie at Gilded Balloon @ Rose Theatre, 10 Apr
http://www.shortattentionspantheatre.co.uk/