DramaReviewScotland

Sunset Song, The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

Reviewer: Adrian Ross

Writer: Lewis Grassic Gibbon

Adaptor: Morna Young

Director: Finn den Hertog

This co-production by Dundee Rep Theatre and the Royal Lyceum Theatre has played to audiences in Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness, and is now showing in Edinburgh.

A fresh take on the classic Scottish novel, it tells the story of a young woman’s coming of age in rural Aberdeenshire in the years prior to, and through, the first world war. The iconic role of Chris Guthrie is played by rising star Danielle Jam.

We see the seasons come and go in a timeless way, yet life is changing rapidly. The harshness of tenant farming is contrasted with the lure of the city; the roles of women are shown to be evolving and there’s a tension between the lyrical tradition of spoken Scots and the pragmatic use of English.

The only element that’s constant, we’re told, is the land. Perhaps this explains why the acting area is essentially a giant sandpit. But once a character has picked up a handful of sand and let it trickle through their fingers, any symbolic value in the set has already dissipated. We’re left with a messy eyesore that gets in the way of meaningful movement by the cast. That isn’t solved when chairs from the rehearsal room are plonked on top. Unfortunately, though the set was chosen for the best of reasons, it really mars the production.

So what are we left with? A take on Sunset Song in which action is pushed to the margins, where something more interesting is going on. Musical instruments are lined up on both sides of the stage. The talented and committed cast sing and play as well as act. The music, by Finn Anderson, is superb, as is the quality of the amplified sound.

Though the music has been composed sensitively, to weave in and out of the story, it’s a further squeeze on the action, not in terms of space, but of stage time. That matters, because the adaptation is attempting to cram so many events of the novel into a couple of hours. As a result, we’re always in a headlong rush through the saga of Chris Guthrie’s life.

Instead of sustained drama, there are episodic micro-scenes that tell us what happened, but often gloss over the how and the why. As an audience member, there’s not much to engage with as the story flits on. Though the action is pacy, this lack of involvement makes the show drag. Even if you read it as a Brechtian production, it has some charm but doesn’t appeal deeply to head nor heart.

Another way of handling this undoubtedly tricky task of adaptation might have been to select certain scenes and explore them in more emotional depth. That might have avoided this kind of playing style, which often consists of bits of continuity being recited, rather than relationships being fully rendered.

All that said, the script and the cast do very well with the Scots language. Where there are punchlines, warm laughter follows. The use of modern costume works well. The applause at the curtain call is emphatic. There’s no doubt the production is a good celebration of Sunset Song. It’s less successful as a version of it.

Runs until 8 June 2024 | Image: Mihaela Bodlovic

The Reviews Hub Score

Enjoyable in parts

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