THE TESTAMENT OF GIDEON MACK | THE TRAVERSE, EDINBURGH
★★★★
‘An entrancing piece of Scottish Grand-Guignol and a thought-provoking exploration of the part death plays in life…’
Church of Scotland minister Gideon Mack doesn’t believe in god. Ministering to the flock of Monimaskit, a small rural fishing community on the east coast of Scotland, he sees his calling more as that of a social worker… until the day that he finds himself saved by The Devil after an accident that leaves him missing presumed drowned, until he is mysteriously washed ashore three days later, alive, exhausted and with one leg shorter than another. Telling his story in flashback, his life flashes before him…
Adapted from James Robertson’s 2005 novel of the same name, which was itself inspired by James Hogg’s 1824 novel, Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, The Testament of Gideon Mack shares similar themes of religious fanaticism, demonic possession, hypocrisy and the hypocrisy of the religious.
Matthew Zajac’s stage adaptation is as clever, entrancing and charismatic a piece of storytelling that you will find. Quickly weaving its spell to draw transport you to a Scotland that, while it may hark back to older times, remains instantly recognisable today.
From the opening moments, as Effie Lumsden regales her audience with the local fable of a grand Lady found to be in cahoots with the devil (an attention grabbing monologue from Katya Searle as the remainder of the company sway and pose around her, adding physical substance to the tale through Sasha Harrington’s fluid direction of movement, which fills the stage and later is used to good effect to cover scene changes), the audience is rapt.
Searle’s is just one of a number of strong performances from the eight strong cast, led by Kevin Lennon in the title role. Lennon journeys through Mack’s life, from a childhood lived in the shadow of his strict minister father, through his rebellious formative years, and on into middle age and beyond, his physicality evolving as does the character. It’s a warm, genial and latterly tragic turn.
Strong support is given by playwright Zajac, who also doubles as family patriarch James Mack and The Devil, who has to be the most avuncular Devil ever, in stark contrast to his archetypal Presbyterian minister. There’s no television on a Sunday in his household.
Together with Molly Innes as Agnes Mack, Lennon and Zajac make a believable family unit, Innes herself going on to impress too as the formidable and wonderfully eccentric Catherine Cragie, Monimaskit’s authority on standing stones. Innes shifts effortlessly between the two deftly defined characters.
At times laugh out loud funny, Zajac’s script is compelling throughout with wicked moments of humour, a playground conversation between the young Gideon and his friends goes down well, and Mack senior’s rant about the stupidity of Americans is particularly well received, and prescient.
Director Meghan de Chastelain’s use of Kenneth MacLeod sparse but imaginative set design and Harrington’s movement ensures the action never falters while keeping the storytelling nature of the piece to the fore. Aidan O’Rourke’s music and soundscape completes the illusion, although the sound of rushing River Glass is surely a brave choice to set the atmosphere ahead of the 90 minute first act.
An entrancing piece of Scottish Grand-Guignol, The Testament of Gideon Mack is more than just a gripping tale of the supernatural for a dark winter’s night, it’s a thought-provoking exploration of the meaning of life and the part death plays in that… It’s also a devilishly good night of must see theatre.
Touring to Ayr Gaiety 12 March and Dundee Rep 13+14 March. Tickets here.
