REVIEW: Sunset Song is an intense and memorable retelling of literary classic
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Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s classic novel Sunset Song gets a contemporary retelling in a new production being performed in the north-east this week.
The adapataion created by a collaboration between Dundee Rep Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh is touring Scotland and has come to His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
The north-east’s Morna Young wrote the script, which heavily features Doric Scots language, and the striking drama is directed by Finn den Hertog.
As well as the Granite City, the production is also being performed in Dundee, Inverness and Edinburgh.
The intense story follows protagonist Chris Guthrie as she comes of age in rural Aberdeenshire in the early 1900s.
She faces harrowing challenges from a young age including an abusive father, poverty, adolescence, marriage, childbirth and bereavement.
As well as her personal diffculties, she also has to deal with the impact of World War One and how it affects the fictional rural community of Kinraddie.
Instead of using traditional staging and period costumes, the production has a modern aspect to it.
It features dynamic staging, raw live music performed by the actors, group song and dance.
The story is performed on a stage of dirt seperated into sections by wood which props emerge from putting the focus on the land which is an essential way of life for Chris, her family and the wider rural community.
There is a large backdrop of wheat fields which further highlights the importance of this income to the farming family and staging and props are used sparsely but their impact is not diminished.
At each side of the stage are the various instruments that are used by the performers for the production’s contemporary live music and sound effects. The characters also sit there when they are not involved in the scene.
The main character of Chris is portrayed by Aberdeen actor Danielle Jam, who previously starred in Dracula: Mina's Reckoning and HMT’s Christmas pantomimes.
It is an intense performance from Jam as Chris has to deal with everything life throws at her but she also brings out the character’s admirable qualities including inner strength and humour as she endures, survives and finds a happy renewal.
There is also a sharp focus on the two sides of Chris - the “English Chris”, who is intellectual and aspires to become a teacher, and the “Scottish Chris” who is practical and loves the land.
Ali Craig plays her antagonistic father John. His character stalks the stage as he aggressively keeps a tight control on his family and struggles to contain his raging temper which leads him to being abusive to those closest to him.
The rest of the cast are excellent bringing the various characters to life from the page. They transition seamlessly from acting their scenes to playing instruments at the side of the stage to provide the music.
The production’s contemporary retelling gives the story a new dynamic as Chris navigates her tribulations.
The key moments of drama are powerfully presented with the dirt stage, atmospheric lighting, acoutsic sounds and electronic and amplified music all coming together to ensure this.
All the elements create an intense production as Chris battles against the various forces and is haunted by the ghosts of her past to go onto find contentment during a time when life was incredibly desperate.
A poignant and memorable ending featuring the whole cast makes sure this new version of a literary classic stays with you long after it has finished.
Sunset Song is at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen until Saturday. Visit www.aberdeenperformingarts.com, call 01224 641122 or visit the box offices.
