Sunshine on Leith the Musical

The delight of the company at being back on stage after the two year break was obvious. The production by Barbara More was fast paced and full of moments of both comedy and pathos which had the audience with tears of joy and sadness in their eyes in equal measure. Shaun Cowan and William MacDonald, as the recently discharged Army buddies Davy and Ally returning to their home town, were perfectly cast. Both actors gave very strong performances and William’s was particularly powerful in the portrayal of Ally’s struggles with settling back to civilian life. Their performances were equally matched by the young women in their lives – Yvonne (Catriona Macrae) and Liz (Rosanna Burton). The duets “Misty Blue” and “Then I Met You” between Davy and Yvonne were a delight. It transpires that Rosanna was having problems with her voice the evening I attended but this was not evident in either her speaking or singing and her rendition of “Letter from America” was outstanding. Davy’s parents Jean (Kerry Russell) and Rab (Iain MacKenzie) made a very convincing couple portraying their deep-rooted love despite the bickering and the revealing of Rab’s infidelity in the past. The scene between them in the hospital after Rab’s heart attack where Jean sat quietly by his bedside holding his hand was particularly emotional and well handled. One of the musical, and comedy, highlights was the rendition of “Should Have Been Loved” by Jean and her cleaner colleagues played by Kate MacKenzie, Dawn Alexander Gregory and Kathryn Howes. Strong support was given by Lisa Johnston (Eilidh, Rab’s illegitimate daughter), Andy Hurst (Barman), John Gunn (Call Centre Instructor) and Alister Sutherland (Busker). The chorus sang The Proclaimers numbers - whether numbers like the rousing “I’m On My Way” or the more reflective “Simple Things” (featuring Sharon Macleod) - beautifully. The whole cast attacked the finale of (what else) “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” with gusto - joined wholeheartedly by the audience. The set was simple but effective and the transitions between the various locations were handled well allowing the action to flow seamlessly. Putting the hard working 4 piece band on stage worked well. Congratulations to everyone involved – you certainly deserved the prolonged applause from the almost full house at the end of the evening.

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