Gogol's classic nineteenth century short story transposed to modern Scotland. Pop Sheeran has spent his life painting the Forth Bridge, an arch traditionalist who sees the old ways as best. But his traditions are falsified by memory, and Braveheart is his favourite film. When a new apprentice arrives he proves to be a threat to everything Pop's life is built on, and his descent into madness begins.
Very funny to begin with, the play becomes much darker over time. There are strong performances from all five members of the cast, but it's Liam Brennan's anchoring role as Pop that stands out. Suspicious of a world that has caused him grief, his fears and fantasies are played out with a mix of vulnerability and aggressive self defence that makes us both fear and fear for him.
There are a lot of Scottish, indeed Edinburgh, references that both amuse and irritate. There are times when the script has a laboured feel where it tries to hard to emulate the original - but the social environments of Gogol's civil servant and the twenty first century painter are very different and best not reconciled. But the acting and direction (and the imaginative set design) is strong enough to carry these flaws and produce a work that entertaining, disturbing and thought provoking, a reminder that mental illnesses are all too common in our society. And that looking at the past through a blurry soft focus distorts the lessons of the present (something the Brexit people have clearly forgotten....).
Highly recommended.
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