Political correctness taking a funny turn
My Left/Right Foot The Musical (Assembly Roxy) Hilarious crowd-pleaser
Subtle, nuanced, full of quiet, reflective, tender moments guaranteed to stop you in your tracks and ponder your place in the cosmos. trust me, this new musical comedy collaboration between the National theatre of Scotland and mixed ability company birds Of Paradise, directed by Robert Softley Gale, is none of these things.
Instead, what we have here is a bawdy, knowing, crowd-pleasing, achingly laugh-out-loud funny production centred on a feckless small town theatre group’s attempts to win a Scottish am-dram award.
One that manages to pull off the trick of being both politically correct and non-PC at the same time and is sure to be one of the most talked about hits of this year’s Fringe.
the plot, as such, focuses on the Kirktoon Players’ decision to milk the PC merits of ‘inclusivity’ in the arts for their own good after 16 years of unsuc- cessful attempts to win a prestigious One-Act Drama Award.
So out goes boring old Pinter (a favourite of the group’s nippy sweetie organiser Sheena, superbly played by Gail Watson) and, after considering minority offerings focusing on ‘blacks’, ‘gays’, or ‘Jews’, the troupe, and debut director Amy, (louise Watson) decide to settle on embracing disability as their key to success.
to wit, staging a production of My left Foot, the autobiography of writer and painter Christy brown – who suffered from cerebral palsy – that was turned into a movie, bagging an Oscar for Daniel Day-lewis (DDl as he’s reverentially known in Kirktoon thesp circles), in the lead role.
Cue the underlying debate about real inclusivity that runs throughout the show as we follow rehearsals, with John Mclarnon’s Ott polo neck-wearing luvvie Grant, Kirktoon’s only semi-pro, relishing the chance to ‘crip up’ and discover his inner ‘spaz’, while techie Chris, who actually does have cerebral palsy, looks on in disbelief.
Richard thomas, Claire McKenzie and Scott Gilmour’s musical numbers are a parodywithin-a-parody hoot, and there isn’t a false note struck by an excellent ensemble cast.
true, the characters on stage may be painted in broad brushstrokes – horny chav Gillian (Dawn Sievewright); mousy sign interpreter Nat (Natalie McDonald who signs Softley Gale’s production throughout); shy retiring Ian (the excellent Richard Colon) and Gavin Whitworth’s ironic part-time narrator who tickles the ivories throughout.
but the brio they bring to their roles is infectious. Profane and wonderful, a funny show packed with highlights.
Assembly Roxy, until Aug 27