Porno - Edinburgh Fringe

 Saturday, 13th August.  Pleasance Beyond

It certainly doesn’t feel like 26 years ago that Trainspotting was released in cinemas, the cult classic penned by Edinburgh native Irvine Welsh in 1993 introduced the world to the murky hidden squalor  of the Scottish capital and specifically a group of friends, addicts, schemers and psychos.  The friends and their antics were immortalised on the big screen thanks to the collaboration of author Welsh, screenwriter John Hodge and Director Danny Boyle.  The novel and subsequent movie release were a worldwide global hit leaving the characters firmly etched in the memory forever.

When my wife and I took our seats at the Pleasance Beyond theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe for the stage adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Porno the follow up to Trainspotting, it felt like we were on our way to a school reunion where you just weren't sure how anyone had got on since you last saw them.  We needn't have worried.  From the moment the lights went down and the characters made their introduction, it was like they had never been away – yeah they might be a wee bit older (aren’t we all), but maybe not much wiser.

The story picks up 15 years after Renton had robbed the group of friends, fled the scene and left  Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie to pick up the crumbs of their own lives.  A lot can happen in 15 years – a guilty conscious can catch up with you, a vengeful rage can fester or old habits can re-emerge.

The casting has been superb, Chris Gavin is the embodiment of Begbie, emerging from the shadows after a long stint behind bars.  The psycho of the group is alive and well, not changed a bit after his jail time and is ready to set about anyone who even looks at him now that he's back on the street.    Simon Weir is the epitome of SickBoy only a wee bit older now, much more sleazier and still happy to score a line up his nose and find ways of lining his pockets.

Scott Kyle is captivating as he reeled us in to the scheming ways of Renton; returned to Leith after his escape to Amsterdam.   Kevin Murphy gave a perfect performance in the role of Spud, always trying to help everyone else, it was easy to fall in love with the character all over again.

The playwright behind the production David Carswell has captured the storytelling flawlessly for this absolutely fantastic bit of theatre.  The prospect of an extended version of this play is something we can all hope for soon.  In the meantime make sure you do your best to get along and see this perfectly crude, vulgar, funny and profane work of art.

In The Name of The Son - The Gerry Conlon Story

Saturday, 13th August.  Edinburgh Fringe

I finally took the plunge and decided to head east on the train to get a flavour of The World Biggest Arts festival. The Edinburgh Festival is now celebrating its 75th year, so it really needs no introduction from me – the platform it provides for up and coming, random, well established and controversial entertainers, actors and comedians is a multi-million pound industry that depending on who you speak to doesn't always seem to find it’s way back into the pockets of the performers.

With Scotland in the midst of yet another heatwave ( we really shouldn't complain) the capital was at its sparkling best as hundreds of thousands festival goers zigzagged across the world famous streets to take in the atmosphere as well as a trying to find a few hidden gems performing in the many quirky venues dotted throughout the city.  Thankfully my wife & I had made plans earlier in the week and had a couple of shows booked.   First up was In the Name of the Son – the Gerry Conlon Story

The one man stage show was a real masterclass in performing arts from Downpatrick born actor Shaun Blaney.  Fresh from a recent run at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, Shaun delivered a breath-taking non-stop masterpiece for the senses.  With only a short table and stool for company on stage Blaney had the audience transfixed from beginning to end. His portrayal of the troubled and turbulent life of Gerry Conlon was a gripping rollercoaster of a ride.

Starting in the Lower-Falls road in Belfast, Shaun painted the very vivid scene of a young Conlon caught up the midst of the troubles on the streets of Belfast before being forced to move to London where he would be framed and centre stage in one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history.  Arrested, brutally tortured – physically and mentally, forced to confess to the Guilford pub bombings, Conlon was convicted along with Paul Hill, Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson and sentenced to life imprisonment. The plot by the British establishment also pushed for the trial of the Maguire Seven, which saw Conlon wrongly sent to prison with his father Patrick Guiseppe Conlon.

The story continues with Shaun Blaney visiting the moment the “Guilford four" had their sentences quashed in 1989 by the UK court of appeals, the moment of triumph Conlon family had been working hard for over the previous 14 years.  The true cost of spending 14 years in prison is then played out as Blaney depicts the incredible highs and desperate lows of a man known the world over, but who had never truly dealt with his brutal incarceration.

From The Oscars to scraping together food from the bins on the streets of London, Blaney painstakingly conveys the spirit of a man broken by drug addiction, loss and grief, while enlightening us with the redemption of Conlon in his later life as he returned to his family and reunited with Paul Hill to work tirelessly with the miscarriages of justice organisation.

This is a must see production, Shaun Blaney delivers an energetic, powerful all consuming performance that will have you completely mesmerised.