Sunshine On Leith

It’s always a pleasure to return to The Brewhouse Arts Centre to see the wide variety of plays and musicals being presented by local theatre companies in the Burton-on-Trent area and I was particularly looking forward to watching this latest production of ‘Sunshine On Leith’ by The Mellow Dramatics. The show is a jubilant heartfelt jukebox musical, cleverly woven around the anthemic songs of Scottish Band ‘The Proclaimers’ with lyrics by Stephen Greenhorn and musical arrangements by David Shrubsole. First produced in 2007 by the Dundee Rep, Scotland’s leading production theatre, the show had a short run in London in May 2013 followed by the film adaptation which was released later that year starring Jane Horrocks.

Set against the background of Leith, a historic district of Edinburgh which blends a fascinating maritime heritage with a vibrant modern edge, the show follows the lives of two soldiers, Davy and Ally, who have returned home following a lengthy deployment with the British army in Afghanistan. After spending such a long period of time away, getting back into civilian life is not easy for either of them, but amid their struggles they quickly rediscover the strength of family life, ongoing relationships and the power of love. And so the stage is set for a fun and thought-provoking telling of their story ….

As the lights dimmed for the start of the performance and the main house tabs opened, Davy and Ally together with three other British soldiers made their way down the central gangway from the back of the theatre to the stage where they performed the opening number ‘Sky Takes The Soul’ in front of a white gauze. The song was well sung and performed and set a good standard for the rest of the evening.

As the white gauze opened, we had our first view of the composite set. There was a small flight of steps to an exit up stage left, a wall with double opening doors in the middle of the stage and a drinks bar and small area up stage right behind which the band was situated. High above all of these was a huge landscape screen on which the various scene locations were projected throughout the show to cleverly enhance the stage action.

Having faced the constant threat of combat and everyday challenges of war that most people will never have to face, Davy (Tom Patterson) and Ally (George Attwood) had established the very clear bond of friendship that grows between military comrades, and this was very apparent from the start. Both Tom and George had strong singing voices and first-rate acting skills. Equally strong were the performances of the two women in their lives, Davy’s sister Liz (Naomi Hughes) and Liz’s English friend and nursing colleague Yvonne played by Katie Rutland.

Despite her yearning for a new and more exciting life in America, Liz quickly rekindles her romance with Ally while Davy strikes up a romantic relationship with Yvonne, a young nurse, clearly struggling with her emotions and perhaps a little homesick for her family back in London.

All four of them worked exceptionally well together and handled the light-hearted and, at times, dramatic dialogue covering a wide range of emotions with great skill. Their vocal quality in an abundance of musical numbers was also very well maintained. I particularly loved their main duets - ‘Misty Blue’, ‘Make My Heart Fly’ and ‘Then I Met You’, which were all very well sung and delivered. Liz’s second act rendition of the tear-jerker ‘Letter From America’ was a particular highlight of the evening.

As Liz and Davy’s parents, Rab played by Tom Bailey and Jean played by Kayleigh Cross, both gave highly meaningful performances as the long-time married couple who despite all the trials and tribulations the story introduces, their love for each other was never in doubt. Rab’s rendition of ‘Oh Jean’ at their anniversary party was particularly moving.

The unexpected arrival of Rab’s illegitimate daughter Eilidh (Lilly Prince), who he never knew he had, causes a major upset in their lives but eventually his past infidelity is forgiven especially following a sudden and unsuspected heart attack. With Jean refusing to leave his hospital bedside, her touching rendition of the title song ‘Sunshine On Leith’ was beautifully handled. As Eilidh, Lily gave a bright and cheerful performance and doubled as a member of the ensemble.

Apart from some tables and chairs, several small trucks and an abundance of props, the set had been deliberately kept simple to allow maximum use of the Brewhouse stage -which is not very wide or deep - and carefully directed scenes to speak for themselves.

The standard of ensemble dialogue, singing, harmonies and choreography was extremely good. So too was the accompaniment of the seven-piece band in which I was delighted to hear some traditional string instruments. This said, I have to say that I found their position on the stage very distracting at times.

Costumes had been carefully designed and selected to enhance each of the scenes. I particularly enjoyed the Persevere Bar Scene in Act One where all the company were dressed in Hibernian Football Club green-and-white shirts and scarves. ‘Sunshine On Leith’ is, of course, the Hibs Official Anthem.

It’s well known among the acting fraternity that a Scottish accent is one of the most difficult to emulate. It’s also well known that Edinburgh and Glasgow accents differ greatly despite the cities being only 40 miles apart. Hats off then to The Mellow Dramatics company whose very credible Scottish accents were generally well sustained throughout the performance.

Nowadays the availability of LED intelligent lighting provides a huge step forward in stage presentation and this production was well lit from start to finish. The sound too was of excellent quality throughout. I didn’t spot one missed cue!

But my final comments, and probably the most important, must go to Director, Helen Thrupp, Musical Director, Tim Robinson and Choreographer, Chloe Lang for their skills and talent in staging this production to such a high standard. And how lovely it was to hear live musicians when many productions nowadays are forced by contractual obligations to use backing tracks!

Thank you for inviting me to your latest production and for your warm welcome. I greatly look forward to making the relatively short journey from Stone to see you all again in the future.

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