The true story of seven teenage girls fighting for the rights of the children of asylum seekers. Doesn’t sound like it would work for a musical dramatisation does it?
I was a little unsure of what to expect. When you think of the subject matter it certainly sounds interesting but as a musical, I couldn’t quite imagine it. What these girls in Glasgow did was to achieve a change and gain recognition for a cause they felt compelled to fight for from a sense of injustice. Adults and politicians had failed to make a difference, had let slide facts that families were being returned to their own countries even though their lives were still in danger. The computer said no. It was taken as a given. Individual cases were not taken into consideration. On paper they should have been safe but they could prove they weren’t. Ignorance, unwillingness to change beliefs, the powers stuck in their ways and perhaps racism too – all things were against them.
Dumped in Glasgow and asylum seekers had to make a life for themselves despite their situation. They made friends, worked hard at school (which they did with eagerness) and became part of their new communities. Years later and then dawn raids would violently see them and thier children pulled from their beds with their new ‘safe’ lives snatched away and placed in a prison before being returned to their war-torn countries… Sounds awful, sounds like the making of a gritty drama, but it’s a very real tale…
As I said, gritty drama it certainly sounds ripe for. Musical with singing and dancing? Could the two combine to make something palatable? I saw the show last night and yes, the answer is a resounding yes! Not just from me but from every member of the audience who at the end gave a standing ovation! A FULL house of standing ovation… Now I’ve seen a lot of theatre and I’ve never seen that! Even more impressive is the fact that we were all heartily clapping and off our seats even before actress Dawn Sievewright invited the ‘real Glasgow Girls’, who had also been watching, up on to the stage… The show is simply breath-taking!
The direction from Cora Bissett is, as you would expect from someone of her standing, absolutely spot on and the performances, especially those from… Actually, why name names, they were all as strong as each other and absolutely thrilling to watch. Enigmatic, interesting, believable and endearing all at the same time. I am a particular picker when it comes to accents. I see so much on both the stage and screen where the accents just aren’t right at all. It seems on so many occasions that if there’s a vague nod to the desired inflection then it’s deemed good enough and it really isn’t! Norfolk accents are my biggest bug bear, hardly anyone can do one properly and actors slide into West Country as if this is acceptable or to be believed! It isn’t. Ever! With this show we had to believe many accents from around the globe but they also had to be merged with Glaswegian. All the actors, obviously, had to have different accents, they were portraying girls seeking asylum from around the globe who had gained a little of the native twang to combine and each one was perfect. That’s really quite an achievement not just because an ‘accent’ is hard to pull off in the first place but when you’re listening to other voices it’s so easy to slip into something else. They didn’t, not one of them and they were all well and truly ‘into’ their characters. With attention to detail like this it’s easy to see why the rest of it works.
With not a single weak link in the whole ensemble, not a voice, note or step out-of-place with the dancing either, it was a thoroughly enjoyable, moving, inspiring and funny (on many occasions) production to have had the pleasure of watching! It was charged with energy, this important story of our time which shows that good can triumph and people, no matter what their back ground, age or education, can make a difference. I know I said I wouldn’t name names but I couldn’t write this review without mentioning how much I enjoyed the many portrayals from Myra McFadyen who plays Noreen and a whole host of other characters, in both a serious and humorous way and doesn’t everybody need a teacher like Mr Girvan who was played beautifully by Callum Cuthbertson!
Another absolutely brilliant night at Stratford East – of course! I wouldn’t expect it to be any other way, their bar was set very firmly high the first time I saw a show there and it has never been lowered! My advise for ‘Glasgow Girls’ is GO, GO, GO!
To book tickets please see the website www.stratfordeast.com.
I have not been paid to write this review.
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