I was privileged to be among the audience at the opening night of The National Theatre of Scotland’s Festival production of 365 -a new play by David Harrower (appropriate name) and directed by Vicky Featherstone, at The Playhouse in Edinburgh last night.

The show was sold out and for good reason.

It’s a polemic piece about the plight of young people entering society after life in care. The show explores, through a cast of about 16, mostly in their teens, what the reality of life is in such a friendless, hostile and downright scary environment.

It’s performed by an ensemble, so no one particular actor stood out. But the technical achievements were noteworthy. Set, sound design, lighting and choreography were all outstanding. Paul Buchanan’s specially commissioned song that forms a central part of the denouement is spine tingling.

The acting is universally good and at times excellent.

But the greatness of the play is all about the writing.

This is very modern theatre and, as such, doesn’t follow a plotline or typical narrative structure and although it’s fairly bleak it’s by no means humourless. Fundamentally though it touches on the very darkest side of society – misogyny, neglect, class, prejudice, sexual orientation, fear and lack of confidence. Essentially it is about loneliness because most of the relationships we witness are a veneer.

Life as a kid with no familial network is not a good place to be and David Harrower brings this into sharp relief quickly and consistently.

I think it could do with a touch of editing but overall this is an important, thought-provoking and engaging piece of work.

I notice it’s playing at the Lyric, Hammersmith from 9 – 29 September. Not knowing the theatre I suspect it will be rather less spectacular than in The Playhouse which, as a stage, offers wide open spaces (and which contributed to the theme of isolation by its very brooding presence).

It’s distinctly Scottish, but the points it makes are universal and you lot in Englandshire shouldn’t struggle too much with the dialect. (You might not like the language though. My god, the National Theatre of Scotland like a fucking swearword do they not?)

… presque!

Ca y est… le financement du festival est (finalement) assuré, le matériel de communication – flyers et affiches – en route pour impression, les questions logistiques clarifiées: A l’horizon, reste un rendez-vous d’amour – au joli mois de mai ! – avec le cinéma d’animation, mélange de rêve et de réel image par image!   Il est temps - enfin – de définir dans le détail le programme des projections. Moment béni. Car si dans son ensemble la sélection des courts métrages est faite, commander les pellicules reste à une source de bonheur et d’émerveillement… Au fil de ces prochaines semaines, plusieurs billets seront consacrés à la programmation. Objectif annoncé:  vous donner l’envie de découvrir ces petits bijoux de l’animation… sur grand écran!

Grâce au soutien de la Ville de Lausanne, SUBJECT bénéficiera d’une vingtaine d’emplacement F4 dans toute la cité! Merci!

La prochaine édition du festival SUBJECT se déroulera à Lausanne en mai prochain.

Réservez vos dates!

La soirée d’ouverture du 23 mai, organisée au cinéma Atlantic s’annonce pleines de surprises!

Vous pourrez également vous régaler avec deux programmes de courts métrages savoureux diffusés au City Pully, ou nous rejoindre pour une projection et un débat chaleureux et engagé au Centre culturel Pôle Sud!

Des nouvelles de la programmation très bientôt… sur ce blog!