Rep Studios scores with film of Smile

Cards on the table, Dundee Rep’s Smile has a special place in my heart. Not only was it my last theatrical experience before lockdown, it was the first time I had been to the theatre with my beloved big brother.

He was tempted more, I’m sure, by his admiration for Jim McLean and love for Dundee United than a night out with his wee sister.

I have distinct memories of him heading off with a group of mates to Europe in the 1980s, following United in those glory days. A play about Tannadice’s most legendary figure would mean more to him than me, even though, final card on that table, I’m a Dundee United supporter.

So with the memories of the great live theatre night still fresh, it’s easy to come to this new filmed version, the first by the new Rep Studios online platform, with a little trepidation.

The “live” version was such a powerful twohander that it seemed almost impossible to bring that level of energy to film, particularly when there would be no shared audience experience of laughter.

It has been more than possible, however, through taking a step back and looking at the play differently.

There’s no one-camera static approach here. The camera work is dynamic and the close-ups mean we can enjoy all the nuances of the performances by Barrie Hunter as Jim McLean and Chris Alexander as Jimmy, the character that guides Jim through the reflections on his life.

It also means the dynamic opening where Jim, fresh from a touchline tantrum and thundering into the dressing room for his team “talk”, is even more explosive.

Hunter’s portrayal of the man was rightly praised at the time, but this version means that we see the smaller moments more clearly, we see the thinking of the man rather than the manager.

It also allows us to get better acquainted with Alexander’s Jimmy character, which could easily be lost in the breadth of Hunter’s performance.

Philip Differ’s play, still directed by Sally Reid, is told through the football of course, but is a much wider examination of a man who had depths that he thought it was none of our business to see.

When Jim talks about his wife Doris were lump-inthe-throat moments on stage, even more so now, knowing that she lost him on Boxing Day last year.

Of course there is plenty for the fans, but there are only a couple of references that might go over the heads of the uninitiated. Most are explained, thankfully without any clunky exposition.

Filming has also allowed some special effects – nothing that takes away the theatricality but slight enhancements that help to tell the story for the smaller canvas of a screen.

If this is an indication of what Rep Studios will be able to offer alongside its live performances, it will enhance its reputation even more.

Smile is up there with some of the Rep’s great productions. Buy tickets to see it online until Sunday May 16 at dundeerep.co.uk

SHOOT: Barrie Hunter as Jim McLean in Smile.