The Tron Theatre’s Victorian Room is one of the warmest and most intimate performance spaces in Glasgow. Over the years SWH! has been there for Warren McIntyre’s Seven Song Clubs, the launch of the anthology Out There, and various poetry and spoken word events. A recent, and most welcome, addition to its regular visitors are the Tandem Writing Collective who put on nights showcasing and developing new theatre. We were lucky enough to be at their most recent night where a sold-out audience had a rare old time. There were laughs, tears, tension and tunes as everyone in the room shared a rather special experience.
Tandem is the brainchild of three playwrights – Jennifer Adam, Amy Hawes and Mhairi Quinn – who have been putting on these nights in Glasgow and Edinburgh with the aim of making audiences think as they are entertained. The running order was six short pieces, two each from the writers, with a musical interlude in-between (more of which below). Their impressive cast (see bottom of page for details) have only a short rehearsal time before taking part in these “script in hand” performances. This is as fresh as theatre gets, with risks being taken from all involved, and it creates a thrilling tension in the room that you rarely get with other art forms.
The first half began with ‘Please Charge Your Glasses’ (Amy Hawes) where a wedding reception goes spectacularly wrong, and the dangers of a live mic have never been as clear. Any wedding where the spectre of pampas grass rears its head is never going to end well (and if you don’t know the reference, Google it – just not at work unless you want to be the talk of the steamie).
This was followed by ‘The Lodger’ (Mhairi Quinn), a two-hander which looked at mental health and anxiety, how it us regarded and treated, and the pressures applied by the modern world. With the psychoanalyst from hell and a patient who fears just about everything it was a wonderful example of what two fine actors, with a tight and insightful script, can do as roles become reversed. Then came Jennifer Adams’ ‘Whispers’, which all too clearly outlined how rumours and hearsay can turn quickly into something sinister, and that it’s important to remember that even when mobs rule they are still made from individuals who bring their own fears and prejudices.
The musical interlude was just perfect as sister and brother Marianne and Aaron McGregor were joined by David Munn to sing and play some clearly personal songs of love, loss, and cults. A beautiful voice, and some glorious harmonies, backed simply with great playing. It may sound simple but when it’s done this well then you don’t need anything else.
The second half kicked off with ‘Knowing Me’ (Jennifer Adam) another terrific two-hander where what begins as comedy becomes pitch black as technology turns, like an episode of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror meets Westworld. You would never use Alexa or Siri again! Then came Amy Hawes’ ‘Bathgate Murder Mystery Team-Building Weekend’ where all the cast were involved in a riotous comedy/mystery, which had salient points to make about the media, and which (knowing some people involved in such events) was pretty much spot on.
The night ended with Mahiri Quinn’s ‘Politics Of The White Stuff’, a very moving and thought provoking piece on how the current reporting of, and attitudes to, bad weather reflect class prejudice and inequality – not only of expectations but of thought, or lack of it. It was the perfect end to a night where every emotion was brought to the fore.
My advice is not to miss out on the Tandem Writing Collective if you can help it as these are exactly the sort of nights Scottish theatre needs, bringing it out of the big and expensive venues to spaces which are not just affordable, but which make for the sort of visceral experience that you just can’t get elsewhere.
Cast: Kim Allan, Karen Bartke, Daniel Cameron, Catherine Elliot, Colin Healy and Rachel Ogilvy
Directors: Amy McKenzie and Jo Rush
Productions