Life imitates art imitating life in this Scottish spin off from a scandalous 19th century classic.
Inspired by a recent production from Tony Cownie of Arthur Schnitzler’s original play La Ronde, Liz Lochead has created a parallel world of sexual shenanigans going on behind the scenes of the play’s imaginary latest production. She has gallusly thrown back the bedclothes and exposed the links and connections between the characters’ counterparts in the ‘real life’ creating of la Ronde.
On what is for the most part a dimly lit stage, Keith Fleming and Nicola Roy brilliantly create the respective range of characters of Rab, Rob, Steven, Ruby, Natalie, Anna Lise and of course Alfred and Emma from La Ronde itself. Fleming has more pants and trouser changes than Brian Rix could dream of as he changes from sophisticated actor to awkward on- line dater to chancing joiner, bringing his comic expertise to each. His invisible but voluble Dundonian sound man Ziggy becomes subtly and hilariously more conspicuous by his absence after his declaration ‘E’m oot a here’!
Roy is so convincing in her changes that it is sometimes difficult to think it is the same woman. From her self-effacing gauche young actress to slinking well- to- do sophisticate; from screaming hard done by single mother to strutting hard faced and black turbaned Eastern European director, she excels. All this is smoothly directed by Tony Cownie within a set of just a few box props and a variety of bedding.
The great choice of music to chime with the scenes like If I were a Carpenter, Only the Lonely and Mona Lisa are sung and played on a piano in the background to, with a cheeky ‘allianced’ version of Je t’aime -na! , all adding another comic element to this raunchy adult play. Lochhead’s exposure of the nuts and bolts of theatre alongside a series of intertwining sexual partners is plaited through her signature comic prose that amuses throughout.
La Ronde has been described as a ‘sexual daisy chain’. Lochhead says she “…wanted to write…a sex comedy that sparkles” and in What Goes Around she has created a rollicking, multi- stranded sexual Strip the Willow. Tremendous fun all round!
age recommend 16 +Autumn 2015 Tour Details
Thursday 17th – Saturday 19th September Tron Glasgow 7.30pm
Wednesday 23rd September Beacon Theatre, Greenock 7.30pm
Friday 26th & Saturday 27th September Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 7.30pm
Tuesday 29th September Lemon Tree, Aberdeen 7.30pm
Wednesday 30th September Dundee Rep 7.30pm
Thursday 1st October Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy 7.30pm
Friday 2nd October Byre Theatre, St Andrews 7.30pm
Saturday 3rd October Ardross 7.30pm
Tuesday 6th October Paisley Arts Centre 7.30pm
Thursday 8th October Macrobert Arts Centre 7.30pm