Looking through actors’ biographies in theatre programmes in Scotland, Decky Does a Bronco is a play which actors are clearly proud to have been in, because it crops up time and again.
Grid Iron is reviving this 10 year old play by Donald Maxwell. It has been touring Scotland since June and is currently on the Fringe at the Edinburgh Festival.
The play is set in a swing park, and this production takes a set of swings with it as it goes. We caught it on a rather drizzly night at Lochee Park in Dundee and sat in a circle of about 100 of us on wee camp stools, fairly happed up against a dampish evening with umbrellas at the ready.
To bronco a swing you stand on it, worky up to the bumps, level with the bar, kick the swing over your head and jump beneath it. This play is about a group boys growing up on a Scottish council estate, and their changing relationships as they grow older. To be able to bronco a swing is a sign of acceptance – all the lads can do it – except Decky, who is just too wee, and therefore the odd boy out – a social ranking that leads to a tragic conclusion.
The play is performed by six adults, three playing the younger selves of the others. It held together engagingly by David, played by Martin McCormick who narrates the story. There are some thrilling acrobatics on the set of battered but carefully strengthened swings, and an atmospheric soundtrack adds to the piece.
The subject matter here has been dealt with in many plays and books, and I am not sure it all worked here. In particular, I really wanted to hear all of the writing, but at times words became lost in the background noise of traffic going past, despite the actors being miked up. But it was a powerful piece, well acted, and we were really glad we saw it.
Catch it at the Edinburgh Fringe at the King George V Park at the bottom of Scotland Street. Beware though …….. being it’s Edinburgh in August, the prices are well racked up: we saw this on a Saturday night in Dundee: 2 adults @ £8 and a student at £5 is £21 all in. To see the same thing in Edinburgh on a Saturday night would have cost us £19 per adult + a £15 student which is £53. Excuse me, but that’s a massive increase, way beyond what is reasonable for a show like this, which comes in at just over the hour. The Traverse is being a bit greedy methinks.
I’ve missed your reviews so was pleased to read your thoughts on this one. Disappointingly the sound issues seem to be a recurring problem – I don’t think I’ve seen a review yet that hasn’t mentioned it on some scale.
And I hear you about Fringe ticket prices – and the Traverse in particular. I paid £6 for my ticket for ‘Decky…’ at Cumbernauld as a member of their free ‘Friends’ scheme and full price would have been £8. There are 4 or 5 shows at the Trav I would have had a look at with a ticket price of £12 but can’t bring myself to pay £17 or £19 (x2 adults x several shows). It doesn’t help that we’ve been burned a few times in the last few years by findings a number of their Fringe shows very disappointing. We’ve booked for “Speechless” but that may well be us for the Trav this year. We’ll catch “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” when it returns to the Citizens and have booked for “Roadkill” at the Tron at much more reasonable prices.
Interestingly the NTS production of “Beautiful Burnout” bucks the trend and is cheaper to see at Pleasance than it will be at Tramway after the Fringe.
We know this is a busy time of year for you, but as you missed “Sub Rosa” at the Citz last year you might want to try and fit in a trip to see it at the Fringe – and at a relatively reasonable £15 ticket price (and only £10 on Wednesdays!). I’m not sure how well it will translate to a new venue but we’re looking forward to finding out later in the week.
Sorry not to have been writing recently, and thanks for your comments.
We tried to get to Roadkill at the Tron – fully booked; we tried to book for it in Edinburgh months ago – fully booked there too. Perhaps it will be third time lucky.
Talking of Cora Bisset, it is interesting that Midsummer is coming to The Tron soon. We really enjoyed 3 Short Plays from The West Bank.