Broth (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

The last in this season of A Play, a Pie and a Pint, so I went traditional and had the old Scotch pie, and a pint of Traverse.

Unusually for these short dramas, which normally have a cast of only two or three, there were five actors appearing, a reflection of the complex interactions and steady flow of revelations in the script.  Broth is a black comedy that delivers well on both elements of that term.  It opens with Grandma Mary sitting at her kitchen table, nibbling a biscuit, whilst daughter Sheena and granddaughter Ally stand by, looking horrified.  Not from a dislike of digestives, but because Granddad Jimmy is sat there.  Head on the table, the tablecloth soaked with blood, flowing from a big gash in the back of his head.

But Mary seems more concerned about the broth boiling away on the stove, indeed she appears unaware that Jimmy is doing anything more than sleeping.  Sheena and Ally try to understand the situation, uncertain if they should be calling for an ambulance, or the police, or see if they can cover up for the old lady.  A blood stained kettle gives a strong clue as to what may have happened....

Then Granddad jumps up, not so dead after all, and we begin to learn more about the man we'd thought deceased.  The arrival of Patch, Jimmy's old friend, who had been with him before he made his way home, brings further insight into his character.  By the time Mary finishes off her husband, this time using the broth as her murder weapon, the reasons why she has finally reached breaking point have become clear, to the point where Ally might just be ready to finish him off herself....

All five cast members give excellent performances.  Kay Gallie, as Mary, shows great timing and deadpan delivery to bring out the laughs, and Ron Donachie is a suitably manic and menacing presence as Jimmy.  The bleaker moments are genuinely chilling amidst the comedy.  Broth is well worth tasting.