Strathpeffer Pavilion, 12 September 2007

Kay Ann Jacobs as Tallulah and David Brown as Buck (photo - Colin Dickson).

THE ADVERTS said it would be night to remember and it was. A tale of two romances; Tallulah, for whom nothing seems to be going right, and Buck, a straight to the point, pogo-ing punk rocker on one side, and Hitchcock, dodgy nightclub owner and the lovely PC Joy, secret Take That fan, on the other.

There were jokes a-plenty and lots of music and dancing. In the intimate atmosphere of the show, it was tempting to get up on stage with the cast and join in, especially when they were all rocking to ‘Summer Holiday’.

There was no shock ending, and everyone ended up in love with the right person. There were a few surprises, such as when the punk band’s guitarist pulled off his wig to reveal his day job, or Frankie bursting into full punk mode after standing for most of the song at the back with a tambourine.

Just some of the laugh-out-loud moments so enjoyable for audience and cast alike.

Providing opportunities for people with learning disabilities might not be easy, but the loose script and production meant that everyone on stage was making a contribution according to their abilities.

The show was well cast – all the characters sat well in their parts, and the audience were happy to ignore the odd fluffed line in the midst of such an enjoyable story.

The disappointingly small audience meant that the company’s aim of increasing understanding of people’s potential was restricted. I know that as the show progressed, I started to think differently about how we see people and our expectations of what they are capable of, including how we fear laughing at someone with a disability.

I’m not sure if the small audience were a disappointment to the cast, or if the buzz of touring and performing was enough. I suppose the next stage is for the performers to have the opportunity to become involved in mainstream productions and I for one, would welcome such a move.

(The Shadow of a Pie is at the Aros Centre, Portree, 14 September; Corran Halls, Oban, 19 September; and Nevis Centre, Fort William, 22 September).

© Karen Ray, 2007

Links

• Lung Ha’s Theatre Company