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 Perhaps
the surprising thing about 51 Pegasus is that it brings another first play
to a Highland audience and made it believable from the word go.
Taking universal problems of someone returning to their small town roots
perhaps for the last time before launching into an exciting new career and
confronting their old relationships of family and friends. The cast
were faultless in their delivery picking up all the nuances of a great
script from established poet Ian McDonough. Although this is his
first performed play discovered via the Grey coast competition last year
it will undoubtedly be joined by others in years to come.
  51
Pegasus has all the complexities of The Importance of Being Ernest and
like that play has serious subjects at its heart - human relationships,
family connections, local prejudices, the quest to escape, do better and
reaching out for more - knowledge of both themselves and the people around
them. It is all set in a small town - in northern
Scotland but in reality could be "Smalltown Anywhere". The wit and
humour of the Glaswegian Smart Alec and the Highland references
combine to give some fast paced dialogue. Set on a small pier
the fishing connection is alluded to as a lobster fisherman faces the fact
that his old school friend is about to finally break the connection to the
town and the people he knew whilst he is left contemplating his future.
 A
very enjoyable look at life with lots to smile about whilst running
through a range of emotions and taking the characters at times to the edge
of souls searching. The cast set combine well with each other and
very realistically throw themselves into the whole business. The
fight scene is all too believable and one member of the cast suffered a
broken nose in rehearsals so determined were they to get it right.
Broken nose or not they proved they show that they have what it takes to
deliver on the play's first outing. This opening night was
definitely worth seeing - polished performances delivered as if they
meant every word.
 On an evening where the drink
flowed getting ready for a local dance some momentous decisions were taken
and they delivered beautifully the playright's message. A play about
real life using the closest star with planets - 51 Pegasus -
as a vehicle for the contrasting the future coming to them all and
undoubtedly to us all - those who stay and those who leave.
A thoroughly enjoyable experience
and another achievement for Grey Coast in bringing this new work to a
Highland audience. It proves that Grey Coast has not lost its knack
of finding fresh work and taking it along with a young cast that have set
out to prove they have what it takes to captivate an audience.
Bill Fernie
Caithness.org
Runs again at Thurso High School
on Thursday 5 September before going on the road. Make a point of
catching it and you will not be disappointed.
More Venues To Catch The Play -
Fri 6 Sept 8pm Brora Primary School
Sat 7 Sept 8pm Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
Mon 9 Sept 8pm Macphail Theatre, Ullapool
Tue 10 Sept 8pm Rosehall Village Hall
Wed 11 Sept 7.30pm Nethybridge Village Hall
Thu 12 Sept 8pm Traverse 1, Edinburgh
Fri 13 Sept 8pm Traverse 1, Edinburgh
Sat 14 Sept 8pm Traverse 1, Edinburgh
Mon 16 Sept 8pm Ballachulish Village Hall
Tue 17 Sept 8pm Aros, Portree
Wed 18 Sept 8pm Glenuig Hall
Thu 19 Sept 8pm Birnam Institute
Fri 20 Sept 7.30pm The Arches, Glasgow
Sat 21 Sept 7.30pm The Arches, Glasgow
Tue 24 Sept 8pm Bettyhill Village Hall
Thu 26 Sept 8pm Gable End Theatre, Hoy
Fri 27 Sept 7.45pm Rousay Community School
Sat 28 Sept 8pm Pulteneytown Academy, Wick
Mon 30 Sept 8pm Latheron Hall
Tue 1 Oct 8pm Golspie High School
Wed 2 Oct 8pm Lochcarron Village Hall
Thu 3 Oct 8pm Invergordon Arts Centre
Fri 4 Oct 8pm Woodend Barn, Banchory
Sat 5 Oct 7.30pm North Edinburgh Arts
See Also
Grey Coast Page on Caithness.org
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