★★★★★
Scotland has a rich history of drama based on the lives of working class people, from The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil by John McGrath to the Slab Boys by John Byrne. They have become classics of modern Scottish theatre. They will soon be joined by Kieran Hurley and Gary McNair’s VL which premiered at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
For those not from Scotland, the title of the play VL probably needs some explaining. It’s an abbreviation of the term “virgin lips” used to describe someone who has never kissed another person, and it’s probably just about the worst thing you can ever be in the eyes of an adolescent Scot.
As the audience makes its way into the iconic Roundhouse at Summerhall, there’s a sense of anticipation thanks to the music composed by Simon Liddell and Andy Monaghan. We’re greeted by main characters Stevie Nimmo, played by tour de force, Gavin Jon Wright and Max Brocklebank played by Scott Fletcher, on their way to the Hammerston High end-of-year disco, dressed in day-glo tracksuits, complete with matching trainers.
Being a VL isn’t just a comment on your social standing, it’s a vibe and an energy.
The exact time frame of the production is never mentioned, but due to the spectacular writing from Kieran Hurley and Gary McNair, the audience knows it is set some time in the mid 2000s. It will particularly appeal to people who grew up in Scotland around that time.
Hurley and McNair have crafted a production that captures that period in time so exceptionally well, I felt like I’d been transported back to my old school, thanks to the references to young men experimenting with rap music or “diss tracks” as they were known back in the day.
The writers have even managed to coin phrases in the vein that teenagers do, with “pinger” and “diesel penis” being some of the more memorable ones.
Wright transitions into several other characters throughout the production seamlessly. There’s even a nod to popular Scottish sitcom Chewin’ the Fat when he plays the a beleaguered teacher with a grudge against Max.
VL is brave. It’s a play that breaks the fourth wall in its entirety and the audience become members of the cast. Fletcher and Wright tell the audience the story of the quest to break their VLs and involve them when appropriate.
It makes us all feel a part of it.
Both Fletcher and Wright deliver such sublime performances that the audience feels every emotion along with them. Being a lovesick teenager and the cringe of public shame and embarrassment.
As it gets towards the end of the hour, you’re left never really wanting the play to end with a yearning to know what happens to our two heroes. The standing ovation for Fletcher and Wright was well-deserved.
VL plays at Roundhouse @ Summerhall until 26 August (not 20) at 8.10pm as part of Edinburgh Fringe 2024.
Words by Lauren Gilmour
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