The Steamie

It is nearly 10 years since I last reviewed this play for this company and it has lost none of its bite. A tight knit cast and well directed, this was a production to savour. Capturing the life and culture of Glasgow in the 1950s with the last washing on Hogmanay, the ladies’ banter and gossip created laughter and pathos from the outset. Louise Fairnie cracked the down-to-earth Magrit with her caustic comments, facial expressions and excellent timing especially in the scene discussing the mince. This moment also highlighted the unconscious humour of Mrs Culfeather timed so well by Kate Halliday who also conveyed the character’s loneliness and use of hard work to cover that her family was far away at this time of year. Then Gillian Sullivan gave us a Dolly full of helpfulness yet still a scream. She had us in stitches with the imaginary phone conversation and then trying to wash behind a sheet to get rid of the germs she might have picked up. Again everything was well timed and delivered. The younger Doreen keen on modernity and dancing was brought to life by Charmain Leitch, life so far having dealt her and her marriage more fortune than the others. All ladies maintained their ‘Glesca’ accents and reminded us of a time of community and respect. Their singing, raucous yet fine, was in keeping with the times. The only man in the play, Ewan Hepburn, showed us Andy the Handyman as one who wanted to be big and be liked. He held his own against all these larger than life characters and delighted with his later drunken behaviour after all the secret drams. Other members of the company coming in and out of the steamie added authenticity to the whole. The realistic set took us straight to those lost times with the tiled walls, the washing stalls, sinks and water, the props of prams and OMO washing powder - wonderful attention to detail. This was a great evening’s entertainment. Congratulations on a fine production.

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