The exposed brick of a top-floor cavern at Underbelly Cowgate is the ideal setting for actor/writer Joe Mallalieu’s premiere of
Mallalieu's storytelling is captivating and impassioned
Danny has to urgently finish off some plastering before the wealthy customer returns. His mate should have done it yesterday, but instead scarpered off leaving holes in the wall. Bags of plaster litter the stage, along with his tool box, trowel, motorised paddle mixer and tub, all showing the signs of use, with hardened splatterings of plaster all over them. He also has to write a speech for a very special occasion today; not something he’s done before or is any good at, but it’s really important and adds to his stress. A can of beer and a line of coke relieves some of his tension, as does the next one.
He’s one of the rum lads; the guys who work on building sites and tell stories full of bravado, of night-time escapades, of shagging and drinking and narrowly dodging the law; of having no care for the consequences of their actions and behaving larger than life. They are great storytellers with plenty to draw on and an ability to heighten the tragedies and comedies with a little ego-boosting embellishment.
But the banter tends to be superficial. Danny might have all the tools of his trade but he’s lacking the tools to deal with emotional situations and his mental well-being. Besides, men don't talk about those sorts of things; they keep their feelings to themselves; they put on a brave face and maintain the stiff upper lip of masculinity because there’s a stigma attached to showing any signs of vulnerability.
As the clock ticks and the big event draws closer we are drawn deeper and deeper into the raw recesses of Danny’s mind, where childhood memories lurk and his inability to deal with what he has to confront festers. Nothing and no one has prepared him for this and the abyss of male culture offers only a void to stare into.
Mallalieu's storytelling is captivating and impassioned. His naturally rich Southport/Bramhall accent has a down-to-earth ring. There’s nothing fake or put on here. He was a plasterer long before he was an actor and he knows the people he’s talking about and their lives. Danny says, “If the prep’s done well, the plaster goes on well. If things are done right at the start, things go easier later on.” Along with Tess Seddon’s tight direction all the prep makes for a smooth finish, a highly polished performance and a deeply moving story.
Rum is more than one man’s story. It’s a plea for men to open up, to educate their sons differently and to start tackling the crisis in male mental health. Fitting then that Max Emmerson Productions is partnered with Andy’s Man Club, a men’s suicide prevention charity who offer free to attend peer-to-peer support groups for men aged over 18.
