Oor Wullie is back on stage, looking no’ bad for a spiky-haired loon who first started entertaining the public in 1936 in the cartoon pages of The Sunday Post newspaper.
A fun filled show for all ages
Annuals showing him and his pals running riot have been a popular Christmas gift down the generations. Now he returns to the Rep bearing festive fun having starred in the first incarnation of the show five years ago.
This new production re-unites Rep artistic director Andrew Panton and writing team Noisemaker (Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie) promising `catchier tunes and cheekier capers.’ It is certainly bigger, bolder, louder, brighter and lighter. And very funny too.
The show, affectionately directed by Andrew Panton, is at its best when showing us Wullie and the gang, Soapy Soutar, Wee Eck and Boab (no size soubriquet these days) at their nonsense. Wullie’s famous bucket has been stolen and the boys are off on its trail, meeting PC Murdoch, Basher and Primrose en route.
There are some new characters too, a Scots-Asian father and daughter; the latter unwillingly returns to Dundee for Christmas with her dad. She talks of contemporary problems facing youngsters and is whisked off to Auchenshoogle by Wullie.
It takes a while for the show to find its feet with a rather unnecessary train journey to Dundee to open and the seeding of a plotline relating to Dudley D. Watkins, the famous Oor Wullie illustrator. It is somewhat complicated and does not sit easily amongst the rest of the narrative which is accessible to all ages, touching and hilarious.
Oor Wullie looks great (set and costume design by Kenneth MacLeod) so colourful and the cast dressed off the pages of the original cartoon. It is full on in terms of lighting and music, occasionally blinding and deafening like a grand fireworks display accompanied by some jolly songs to drive it along.
Kyle Gardiner as Oor Wullie is outstanding as our hero with tremendous support from the rest of the gang, Grant McIntyre as Wee Eck, Elliot McLean as Boab, Bailey Newsome as Soapy Soutar perfectly recreating the well-loved characters. Rep favourite Ann Louise Ross delights as clutch of characters from Maw to Ms Watkins.
Antony Strachan as PC Murdoch looks and sounds just perfect as he attempts to keep the boys in line. Indeed the whole ensemble of ten mesh together to create a fun filled show for all ages. As Willie once said, `There's no time like the present to enjoy what ye've got.' Cut along to the Rep and see for yourself.
