The Overcoat is a play about a banker; a banker you may even sympathise with(!). Yes, born in a business suit and an overcoat, Akaky McKaky was always going to be a banker.The Overcoat is Catherine Grosvenor's adaptation of Gogol's short story of the same title, and despite it being transported roughly 160 years to the present, the plot stays remarkably true to the original. Grosvenor's interpretation begins its story in post-World War II Scotland and follows Akaky's life over the past 40 years leading up to the current banking crisis. Born fully dressed for his destiny, Akaky has no choice but to work hard in his office as he watches the world modernise at break-neck speed around him. It is not until Akaky starts to want something for himself, a new overcoat far beyond his financial means, that his world turns sour.Though equipped with a cautionary aspect, this play does not lose its humour in its desire for moral, and a woman giving birth to a full-grown man ready for work is just as funny as it sounds. The humour carries on throughout the play, which lacks a single dull moment thanks to a brilliant ensemble cast. Each actor shows remarkable skill in becoming the various characters with perfectly conceived idiosyncrasies, from Helen the 80’s working mother of three that had taken herself through business school, to Kieran the frightfully camp style consultant. The slick scenes were assisted by clever lighting and a well-conceived score to create a fast paced piece.Billy Mack, playing the ever-so-quiet starring role, makes an excellent job of the bank-clerk almost driven silent after childhood bullying. Without the aid of speech, Mack clowns his way through a whole range of emotions, the silence revealing his incredible aptitude for physical comedy. As Akaky grows away from his timid self, Mack too progresses perfectly alongside his character, giving a fittingly coy voice to the individual.Although this piece cannot be called a pick-me-up on a gloomy day, if you have a taste for thought-provoking theatre, this topical production is a real winner.
