The Padua Playwrights present a double bill of classy fringe theatre; founder Murray Mednicks Tirade for Three and artistic director Guy Zimmermans Vagrant. A Los Angeles based company, presenting what they describe as literary theatre Padua are in Edinburgh for the first time.
In Tirade For Three a father tries to come to terms with murder of his son and the disintegration of his marriage. It is a short piece for three, the grief struck Gary and two other characters, which may be the people he meets or may be aspects of his psyche. The cast are assured performers who do not skip a beat in their well-paced delivery.
Vagrant is a taut dark story, a piece of LA Noir that could come from James Ellroy. In a non-descript shop, a policeman appears to question an ex-convict and his unlikely young wife. No one is quite what they seem, and the gradual revealing of the secrets makes for tense atmosphere, albeit that the denouement seems to take longer than necessary. Again, the acting is first rate, with Christopher Allport, who appears as the lead character in both pieces outstanding.
What isnt clear is why the two pieces have been shown together. Vagrant is certainly strong enough to have been shown by itself, and Tirade for Three is the first part of a longer series, The Gary Plays. While undoubtedly offering excellent value for money, Padua may be putting off some potential customers with the length of the productions.
