It’s a special year for Perth Theatre as the grand old lady of Scottish theatre celebrates her 125th anniversary. Launching the season is Restless Natives: The Musical which also has something to celebrate this year, namely its birth in film version 40 years ago.
High energy from the cast as they dash from topic to topic with music and songs for every occasion
Bringing Restless Natives: The Musical to the stage has been a long unstinting labour of love. It may be four decades on but the film’s original creative team has re-united, this time with book by Ninian Dunnett, Michael Hoffman and Andy Paterson. The music is by Tim Sutton and Hoffman directs.
Restless Natives tells of disillusioned young lads Will and Ronnie fed up with their lack of prospects and lives in Edinburgh. They decide to head for the Highlands on a motor bike to shake off the urban gloom and become modern day highwaymen. Disguised with masks as the Wolf and Clown they hold up tourist coaches with toy weapons and jollity.
Ronnie (Kyle Gardiner) and Will (Finlay McKillop) become latter day Robin Hoods, zooming about their run down neighbourhood scattering money. Gardiner and McKillop bring a convincing youthful vibe to their performances, the former as the instigator and the latter putting the brake on. Things change when Will falls for Margot (Kirsty Maclaren), a coach tour guide, and full-time criminals want in on the act. Maclaren brings a feisty determination to her role as well as a strong singing voice.
The musical does not have the film’s glorious visits to the Highlands of course and unfolds within the confines of the Perth stage, losing the element of the uplifting effect of the lads’ experience of freedom on the open road. It does however have some of the music of Scots band Big Country whose contribution to the film was unforgettable. There are many songs in the musical, some back to back, to keep the cast on their toes while the band under the baton of MD Hilary Brooks never flags for a minute.
Restless Natives had a number of points to make in its original iteration and the musical follows suit setting a number of hares running in all directions which means there is plenty going on. There is certainly high energy from the cast as they dash from topic to topic with music and songs for every occasion.
