Three Edinburgh characters weave in and out of each other’s lives in Mark Hannah’s Athens of the North, premiering at the Hibernian Supporters Club, A play that confronts the ways in which areas are rapidly becoming commodified and gentrified, something of vital concern to people in the Club's surrounding neighbourhood of Leith.
The play feels like a night at the pub in all the best ways
Fraser Scott directs the playwright’s solo performance in this stream of consciousness work set in the capital city over the course of a single day. With scenes from the past and present our characters reflect on what their home means to them while also looking to the future. Hannah vividly and energetically creates the three people. Alan’s a father who works all hours driving and delivering, but will he make it to his daughter’s big day in St Gile’s Cathedral. If you want to know what he sounds like, here’s a taster: "Edinburgh’s a village, eh. Villages’ dinny normally huv castles, palaces and parliaments though. But we do. And in villages, everybody kens everybody. Whether ye like it or no." All spoken by Hannah in the richest of local accents; a real joy to hear. Changing rapidly to a voice from around London he creates Liam, who has landed in Auld Reekie following a holiday romance. But has he made the right decision? As for Maureen’s, well she’s not what she was and her mind doesn’t function as it did in the old days. But what impact will the visitor who takes her for a walk have on her?
Each has several scenes that are carefully interwoven into an episodic love-letter to Edinburgh; fond reminiscences of good times balanced by as many struggles; difficulties that had to be overcome and the people who created these moments. “Everything we were, everything we are, aun everything we’ve yet tae become”
Hannah is an accomplished storyteller and performer whose talents shine through in this work. In the words of the Director, “The play feels like a night at the pub in all the best ways” and goes down very well with a wee dram.
