In this tense drama the audience is thrown before a confrontation between former A-grade student Amy and her history teacher Mr Reilly. Propelling back and forth between past and present we see how a serious incident unfolds and unravels, where history itself resurfaces and dictates what happens in the here and now.
The writing is fluid and offers an intimate piece of theatre.
The show is brought to the fringe by Tartan Spartan Productions who are mostly associated with film production, however in partnership with Acting Coach Scotland this two hander introduces Amy played by Sorcha Groundsell, who violates her restraining order to visit her teacher. Tom Moriarty brings a sensitivity to Mr Reilly and his naturalistic style is realistic and engaging. However, he could afford to go further with his interpretation, especially during flash backs, a change of tone would offer more variety and provide a definitive depiction of character in the past in comparison to the present. Sorcha Groundsell as Amy was an appropriate choice, holding the power in her hands through simple manipulative remarks. Nethertheless, it was too static throughout the performance, eventually the arms crossed, minimalist approach became a little repetitive. Similarly, lines were said in a disjointed manner a little too often, stopping half way through a word and quietly uttering the rest under the breath. I wanted her to own the space a bit more, her character is clever and manipulative and although huge gestures may not be necessary, an awareness would benefit the performance.
The show runs a total of forty five minutes, which is certainly appropriate due to the content, the writing is fluid and offers an intimate piece of theatre. With such involvement in film production I think it would work well as a short; maybe even better than the stage version.
