We don’t normally think of the elderly as sexual beings, but
by tackling taboos like this Grae Cleugh’s latest comedy is as poignant as it
is amusing.
Inspired by Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, Scottish
Widows comprises four monologues that depict the lives of four people struggling
to cope with the loss of their loved ones and the extreme lengths they go to
when they crave human contact. The zany
characters are performed brilliantly by the three-strong cast – together with
Cleugh’s cleverly unfolding storytelling that keeps the audience on their toes,
the play is captivating from start to finish (though perhaps one monologue too
long).
Andrea Miller performs two monologues. She first appears as a sweet old lady who fondly
remembers her husband with girlish glee and smutty humour. Her rambling storytelling is reminiscent of
the warmth and comfort of listening to a grandparent, yet her obsession with
her husband’s glass eye merely hints at the craziness of this seemingly sweet
and innocent old lady. Later, Miller
returns as a brash and glamorous lady who embarks on an affair with a younger
man whilst on holiday, telling her tale with a glass of Martini Rosso firmly in
her grasp. In both instances sex plays a
large part and whilst that may at first seem uncomfortable, it’s symptomatic of
Cleugh’s open and honest scriptwriting. “You’ve
brought me back to life”, claims the second of Miller’s characters, proving
there is life after death.
Being the only male in the cast, Billy Riddoch’s monologue
shows it’s not always the women who are left behind. A sweet and unassuming old man, he recounts
how after the death of his wife he was propositioned at the local boules
club. Torn between that age old dilemma
of the wife and the whore, he does what any good man would do: he dates
both. Like a teenager flirting at a
party, his story is similarly warm-hearted in its positive depiction of moving
on.
It’s Laura Glover who provides the most arresting
performance, however. Taking a turn for
the melancholic, her story depicts a young widow who becomes addicted to the
drug Temazepam to assist with her insomnia as it causes her to hallucinate her
husband. All pale and gaunt, her powerful
performance is frighteningly believable as Cleugh stretches his scriptwriting
muscle and takes the play to its logical thematic conclusion. After all, whilst the central message of Scottish Widows is one of positivity,
the death of a loved one leaves a gaping wound that cannot be easily healed.
4/5
Watch: Scottish Widows runs at the White Bear Theatre until May 24th.