Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Tale of the trenches
Life and death in battlefields of World War One
Only two words could describe the latest production by Plains playwright Liam Lambie – world class.
The doors opened on the Geez A Break Productions tour of ‘O’er the Tap’ last Thursday evening, telling the story of three young Glasgow soldiers who joined the great fight in 1914, and the women they left behind.
The brilliantly written and acted play by 31-year-old Liam had a packed audience spellbound and was a fitting tribute to mark the centenary of the end of The Great War.
His stunning masterpiece, superbly researched and produced, gave an incredible insight as men from all over the world marched off to war to defend their countries, many never to return, leaving behind heartbroken wives, mothers and children.
Liam has never been a writer to shy away from easy subjects. He meets the hardest of topics head on in a way that only he can. In previous years his productions have featured the homeless, mental health issues, Alzheimer’s and dementia, subjects that affect everyone in society in one way or another.
This year, to mark the end of the First World War, Liam’s innovative writing talents turned to the City of Glasgow Battalion and three young men who left their loved ones to go to war and fight to ensure we all had a free society to look forward to in generations to come. Would they return home?
The show was billed as a mix of humour and drama as the Glasgow trio magnificently played by Liam (Robert Blair), Euan Ferguson (Hugh McDonald) and Ross McAree ( John Blair), alongside Jamie Stewart (Colour Sgt James McKay), brought the show to life. The audience could actually feel themselves on stage, acting out every scene and feeling every emotion, such was the outstanding writing and drama.
There were other stars who played just as a big a part throughout the two- hour long production: Clare Rooney as Maggie Blair, the mother of Robert and John; Talia Stirling who played Doreen McDonald, wife of Hugh; Dionne Frati, portraying Nancy Blair, wife of Robert; and a cameo role by Glynis Wozniak as Ms Lauren, the director of the show.
But there was one other heroic performance: the guys who provided the sound, music and lighting to precision timing, which played a massive part in the production being, for me, Liam’s best ever show.
Had it gone to the Edinburgh Fringe, it would have been awardwinning.
From first moment to last ‘O’er the Tap’ was a rollercoaster of emotions until the final shot was fired at 11am on November 11, 1918, when the guns fell silent.
Liam’s sense of humour oozed out throughout but his acting skills were equal to his writing. The whole cast thoroughly deserved the standing ovation they got as the audience held back the tears.
There were twists and turns all over the place but it wasn’t a whodunnit. It was more a case of who was going to come home alive or going to arrive back at Glasgow Central Station in a coffin.
This production can only enhance the fantastic credentials of Liam Lambie as one of Scotland’s foremost writers and actors and surely the plea to Geez A Break will no longer fall on deaf ears.
After Liam’s unfortunate accident on stage at East Kilbride Arts Theatre on the second night, which saw him break his wrist in two places, he soldiered on and was back on stage in a cast at Webster’s Theatre in Glasgow on Sunday to a sell-out audience.
The show will be back on again at Irvine’s Harbour Theatre on March 23.