Another Nice Mess
June 1947… the widely-anticipated return of Stan Laurel – one time resident of Glasgow’s Southside – with his partner, Oliver Hardy, for a run at The Glasgow Empire.
Also, June 1947… The Laurel & Hardy Club (Battlefield branch) are threatened with eviction from their beloved, bomb-damaged cinema. The Lords Bannatyne have plans to turn it into a ‘motor vehicle tenement parking’ facility.
Will the L&H Club members succeed in thwarting the Bannatyne’s dastardly plans? Will they finally get to meet their heroes? Will Detective Inspector Michael ‘Mick’ McMichael, Bootleg Billy, Pickpocket Pam and a host of other desperadoes save the day?
With all the eccentricity and rebelliousness of a 1940s Ealing comedy, with just a dash of melodrama, this isn’t just any old show. This is a Southside Group show.
Performed at Tramway, Glasgow on June 29th to July 1st 2023.
This is one of the best pieces of theatre I have seen for some time. As a piece of theatre, it engaged all the trickery it could muster as well as making sure we got the personalities and the beauty of performing for an audience. That audience, full for the first night, rose from their seats at the end, not just because they have seen these actors develop over time and know the struggles they have faced as they have been alongside them, but also because they saw a shining example of how art can develop and support, enhance and promote, give and take the work and show it off with such deft skill.
In the shadow of the latest CATS awards which did highlight the work of disabled artists, this would rank up there in terms of both process and performance – for disabled arts to thrive and flourish it needs depth. It needs more and not less. This is just a perfect example of why.
A strikingly well-made show that succeeds in transporting us not only to the Glasgow of 75 years ago, but also into a world of joyful ensemble work that lifts the heart, and inspires as much as it entertains.
Another Nice Mess
Written by Stewart Ennis
Directed by Peter Clerke & Catherine Gillard
Set & Costume Design by Ali Maclaurin
Original Music by Richard Williams
Video by Tim Reid
The Occasion gratefully acknowledges funding from:
Creative Scotland, The People’s Postcode Trust, The RTR Foundation, The Hugh Fraser Foundation, The Boshier-Hinton Foundation, Glasgow Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund, The Commonweal Fund.
Photography: Stewart Ennis and Tim Morozzo
