THE WICKER MAN SETS THEATRE'S ON FIRE

This week my girlfriend and I escaped from the drudgery of city life in Aberdeen by visiting the local theatre.   When Helen first told me she'd booked tickets to see 'An Appointment With The Wicker Man', the inflection in my voice betrayed a sense of disappointment.  The last few shows we'd seen at the theatre were poor to say the least, and there was little to believe this would fare any better.

     Greg Hemphill is hilarious in An Appointment With The Wicker Man

However, the cleverly written script and riotously funny performance left us thoroughly entertained.  The show - a parody of the horror film The Wicker Man - was set on a remote Scottish Island occupied by The Loch Parry Theatre Players.  This band of amateur thespians were determined to present their interpretation of The Wicker Man for stage, however their lead actor had vanished, prompting the arrival of the new lead played by David McLeary.

     The 'play within a play' quickly degenerated into farce, the gags coming thick and fast as the cast satirised the original film, as well as gently mocking the idiosyncrasies found in most amateur dramatic groups.  The show had the unsettling ability of capturing the more sinister elements from the original 1960's Wicker Man film, as well as perfectly caricaturing the personalities of the many individuals who perform in amateur productions.

     Greg Hemphill, formerly of Still Game fame, excelled in his portrayal of the menacing Lord Summerisle, leaving the audience to question whether this dark comedy would in fact end in tragedy for the naive policeman, played by McLeary.  Hempill's witty quips raised many smiles, and his final exasperated monologue, deriding the other cast members of his amdram group after years of frustration, literarily left tears of laughter in my eyes

     For so many of us, now used to watching films at the cinema or sitting at home with popcorn and a DVD, this recent visit to the theatre proved to be a real breath of fresh air.  The performance taught me not to judge the theatre too harshly, even though the other shows we've seen recently have been a disappointment.

     Over recent years the popularity of the theatre has waned as digital technology and fantastic special effects leave cinema audiences spellbound. Today, the theatre may be seen as old-fashioned and, in some quarters, archaic.  However, 'An Appointment With The Wicker Man' has proven to me that a tirelessly rehearsed and brilliantly acted theatre performance is just the ticket for audiences to enjoy a fantastic evening out.