‘There must be more than this provincial life’ sings Belle from Beauty and the Beast. And she has a point. We all have those moments in life when we question what could be life’s summit? Do we have a greater purpose than the drudgery of everyday qualms and can our past actions affect our future? Des Dillon’s (Six Black Candles) latest play investigates our philosophical notions in a black comedy exploring redemption, reconciliation and love.

Fabian (Robin Laing), is a hermit monk with healing hands and shackled feet who lives on an Italian mountain, rebuilding a torched chapel under the order of the Abbot (Matthew Zajac).  But his loner ways are disturbed by the disturbing Suzanne (Frances Grey), and a trio of Glaswegians (Stephen McCole, Peter Kelly, Paul Thomas Hickey) who seek his mending powers. But Fabian is plagued by daily jogger Jo (Joe Montana) and it soon becomes clear that everyone is hiding something.  

Beginning with the words “Face reality, find renewal, gain redemption”, Dillon’s text looks under the surface of culture into deeper spirituality, combining West Coast banter with underlying weight. It explores how perceived personal defects lead us into blame, denial and bad choices. The characters are forced to reflect on the things they’ve done, apologise and find salvation. The religious context and ensuing arguments about faith highlight that as the church is diminishing we make our own spirituality reflected in Becky Minto’s mountain top set which looks like an abstract turd. We learn, process and try not to transgress by redefining ourselves – a method utilised in religion and psychology. Dillon’s love of creating comedy of classic proportions that dually makes us smile but also reflect is utilised in Mark Thomson’s production. Full of physical, raucous comedy entwined with serious moments, you can feel the audience shift with each interchange. A stellar cast are comfortable in their roles, effortlessly working the comedy and effectively creating tension when needed. It’s slightly too long, some scenes are statically repetitive and the plot becomes obvious but you won’t really mind. This is pure entertainment with some gems of dialogue in a comedy that’s delivered with subtle nuances as opposed to just laughs.

Fri 16th Mar to Sat 7th Apr

Royal Lyceum Theatre
Grindlay Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9AX
Box Office: +44 (0) 131 248 4848

Tickets: £40 - £10 (£5 - £7)

Evenings: Tue – Sat @ 7.45pm
Matinees: 21, 24, 28, 31 March and 7 Apr @ 2.30pm
Creative Writing Workshop: Tue 20 March @ 2pm (£6-£4)
Pre-show talk: Tues 20 March @ 6pm (£3)
Post show discussion: Tue 27 March