Winners of the Broadway Baby Bobby Award for their production of 1902, Saltire Sky are back at the Fringe with two plays this year: Bits ‘N’ Pieces and MANikin. Each in its own way explores issues that individuals and society would often prefer not to face.
The company has been working since 2016 ‘to create immersive and lasting theatre experiences that bring stories to the people, specialising in new writing and modern classics’ boasting that they ‘make theatre for people who don’t go to the theatre’ and aim to ‘challenge perceptions of what working-class theatre is and can be’. Ever-conscious of the issues that confront so many people in the country, Saltire Sky have an unflinching approach to exploring the darker sides of Scottish life in an accessible manner. Their stories are powerful and often poignant.
Both plays, written by Nathan Scott Dunn, are rooted in the region. In Bits ‘N’ Pieces, Tommy, Matty and Dougie look to ditch the day job for the disco. But with the disco comes drugs. So what? Everybody takes drugs. But Matty doesn't take them seriously. Head-on the play tackles attitudes towards recreational drugs and the culture surrounding them. It’s a dark comedy that explores the dangers of attaching stigma to drugs and the extent of media misinformation and the inherent perils it holds for mental health. It’s a wild piece that makes an assault on the senses, with temptation, terror, tunes and trauma bombarding from every angle. Winner of the Best Scottish Production 2022 Bits ‘N’ Pieces reveals what it's like to come of age in the height of Scotland's drug-death crisis.
MANikin is an equally powerful one-man show. Set in the small town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Fraser Patterson wrestles with his mind and body in his struggle to play the bit-part role of The Big Guy. Brutal playground initiation evolves into real-world tribulation in a society riddled with stigma and prejudice. It is an unflinching portrait of a man’s struggle with obesity and body image in modern society, that demonstrates how these issues arise, escalate and become life-threatening. The play was nominated as Best Scottish Production 2023 (Scottish Theatre Awards).
One of the joys of these shows is to hear the richness of Scottish accents in full flow. Sands Stirling in the solo show has a cutting Glasgow accent. The other cast illustrate regional variations and show that even people from the same area don’t necessarily sound the same. You can tune your ears to the sounds of Jonny Tulloch and Sandy Bain from Linlithgow, Rachel Macpherson-Graham, another Glaswegian, Calum Manchip from Cumbernauld, Samuel Lee-Johnston from Forfar and Josh Brock from Aberdeen. If you’re not from Scotland, you may not catch every word but the meanings are always clear and you’ll hear some vivid language and often amusing colloquialisms.
These previously performed pieces have undergone significant editing and development since they were seen here last year, so even if you saw them then, you’ll be in for a different version this year. MANikin, in particular, has evolved considerably and benefited from the input of West End director Scott Le Crass who says of the play that “the writing is layered, punchy and truly authentic”.
If you want a true taste of another side of Scotland, these plays are not to be missed.
