Young Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell’s play SO YOUNG is set in Scotland in the summer of 2021. Covid lockdown is just over, and things are slowly getting back to normal.
We first meet middle aged couple Liane and Davie at the very beginning of the play as they race on stage to dive on to a bed and make love. Times have been tough and age is catching up with them, though the ardour is still there
Ainslie McGlynn’s Liane is a firebrand, a no-nonsense woman who doesn’t mince words. McGlynn’s fierce, heartfelt performance is, for me, the performance of the night.
There is a strong masculine energy that emanates from Jeremy Walters‘ Davie. Together the couple stand by and for each other.
Next to appear is their trusted best friend, Milo, played by Henry Nixon. Liana and Davie, haven’t spent much time with him, since his wife died too young, succumbing to Covid. At first glance, Nixon’s Milo comes across as a regular sort of guy. Oddly though, he has decided that the meeting will see him introduce his new girlfriend, Greta. Nixon gives a fine performance, exemplified by him being able to stand firm in the play’s most powerful scene.
As the final part of the puzzle, Aisha Aidara comes on stage to play Milo’s new girlfriend, who comes in, and goes straight to the kitchen to get herself a drink. Greta is about half Milo’s age, a woman im her early twenties. Liona and Davie are livid. Has Milo lost his mind? Instead of picking up an attractive young woman, shouldn’t he be grieving the loss of his wife?! What is exactly happening?! Aidara’s performance is strong in portraying her characters’ resolve and self assuredness for someone so young.
The play and its characters unfold in unexpected ways. SO YOUNG asks whether, with our trenchant beliefs and conventional ways of seeing and doing things, can we be open to, and tolerate those amongst us, who do things differently?!
Sam O’Sullivan, more familiar as an actor, (I have seen him a number of times at the Ensemble theatre), this time takes on the role of director. Together with his design team, they create a tight, focused stage world.
Kate Beere’s set is a finely detailed living room and kitchen room set. The set is a bit of a wonder considering how tiny the Old Fitz stage is.Beere dresses the characters in a way that accentuate their personalities.
Aron Murray’s lighting spotlights the characters well. Johnny Yang’s soundscape is aptly tense
Accents are tricky for actors to get however with the help of dialect coach Linda Nicolls-Gidley, the cast navigate them convincingly. Intimate scenes also can be tricky, which the cast handle well, overseen by intimacy director Cristabel Sved
SO YOUNG will appeal to people who like to be challenged when they go to the theatre. If this is not your kind of thing, best to stay at home and watch Netflix.
An Outhouse Theatre Company production, Douglas Maxwell’s SO YOUNG is playing the Old Fitz until the 22nd November 2025. Performance times are Tuesdays to Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 7pm and Sundays at 5pm
