Wallace ★★★★

By The Recs ACT - Alexandra Taylor 5 hours ago

“Look at it from non-Saltire-tinted glasses”

Wallace is written by award-winning playwright Rob Drummond, who has delivered various shows in different styles and is always open to experimentation. Rapper and Scottish hip hop historian Dave Hook provides an engaging musical accompaniment and witty lyrics. From a 50-minute show first performed as part of Glasgow’s iconic lunchtime theatre experience, ‘A Play, A Pie & A Pint’, this year’s show is longer and significantly improved.
 
Audiences are ushered to their seats by the sound of bagpipes, looking at a sparsely decorated stage and a stag hanging from the ceiling. The stag promptly disappears as William Wallace himself, played by Dave Hook, saunters onto the stage, taking his place behind a DJ booth. The other five members of the cast swiftly join him before Manasa Tagica, as the Sassenach, questions the entire spirit of the show: “Scottish people can’t rap, where’s the tradition in that?” And yet, they all rapidly disprove that statement, telling the story of Wallace while questioning who he really was.
Images by Sally Jubb
Blue and white lights beautifully criss-cross over Wallace’s first big speech, but the show is far from nationalist propaganda. Wallace himself actually has surprisingly little centre-stage time. The show makes you think, question stories and histories, and it makes you laugh. There are so many pop culture references for fans of The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, One Punch Man, and One Piece – and potentially others.
Ross Man, the Scotsman, is obsessed with Wallace, and champions him throughout the play. He narrates with incredible stage presence throughout, but especially during a mild temper tantrum near the end of the show. Manasa Tagica’s performance as King Edward I, in a gorgeous red fur coat, exudes a seductive arrogance that is highly entertaining. As Sassenach, he questions why Wallace is given such import despite all the people he killed, commenting sarcastically that Wallace “tripped over and pillaged Wales”. Together, they poke fun at Braveheart and engage in a mostly good-humoured debate, for example over whether Wallace “fled to” or “regrouped” in France.
The three wummin’, Patricia Panther, Kimberly Mandindo, and Madeline Grieve, provide an excellent chorus and background choreography. They expertly shift through characters, changing their facial expressions, posture, way of walking, and tone of voice to flit between personas, supported by some costume additions. Then, they take centre stage and prove that they belong there, giving a voice to the women written out of history. Patricia Panther and Madeline Grieve both deliver stunning solos. The show challenges us to think about the real heroes in wars who are never given any credit, like peasants and women. The Scotsman tries to point out that wars are started by the rich, but is rebuked by the argument that the rich were mostly men.
The costume design is punk alt rock. It’s edgy, and it mostly works, though characters were occasionally lost in the black background because of their black clothes. There is one stunning costume change where a white top becomes red, producing audible gasps, which costume designer Victoria Brown should be proud of.
 
While the simple stage design keeps the focus on the performers, the stag from the beginning makes a very loud appearance to powerfully end the first act. Mic drop? Stag drop. However, it remains on stage in Act Two, for no apparent reason, and feels a little awkward, despite the capable cast literally dancing around it.
 
Although it is historical fiction, so much of the text could be discussing today’s world. “It feels like we’re living in the end times” is a repeated message. The show questions why we have heroes, who could be a hero, and how we can continue to have hope through tough times. It also notes that we are more than the past we inherit. Set for a longer Scottish tour in Autumn 2027, which might deliver even further improvements, Wallace is more than just an entertaining history lesson.

Wallace: man, myth, musical ★★★★ 4 stars

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The Recs ACT - Alexandra Taylor
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