Life-affirming adventures of two pals must not be missed

According to inspirational memes and bumper car stickers across the land, Life is a Journey. But, what do you do if your journey never really got started? That’s the question that Dundee Rep’s latest production, Passing Places asks.

Alex and Brian are loveable no-hopers, trapped in a dreary Motherwell. When Alex loses his job after a run-in with his sports shop owner turned gangster boss, Mr Binks, the pair do something completely irrational. Steal a surf board and a clapped-out Lada and head for Scotland’s surfing capital – Thurso. It’s not until the unlikely adventurers leave their small lives behind, that they start to realise just how big their lives could be.

Created by Sunshine on Leith playwright Stephen Greenhorn, in the late 1990s, this comedic play feels every bit as relevant and joyous now, as it reaches its 21st anniversary. The Dundee Rep production, directed by Andrew Panton, brings added warmth to the show, making it a poignant and powerful play to watch.

The stellar cast features the brilliant Ewan Donald, as Alex, a glass half empty kind of guy, who has never felt comfortable in his own skin, along with wonderful newcomer, Martin Quinn, as Brian, an unemployed brainiac, brimming with excitement for his first voyage into the unknown.

One of the play’s great strengths is the set design, created by Becky Minto. Bringing what is essentially a road movie to the stage is no easy task but the Dundee Rep do it with so much style and flourish that the long-suffering Lada feels like a real character in the play. The live soundtrack is also spot-on and brings a fantastic energy to this fun and life-affirming play.

With tremendous performances, witty, authentic dialogue and laughs aplenty, Passing Places is a journey not to be missed.