A Slow Air

From August 2011

Over the last ten years or so a new genre of theatre has emerged: plays where nothing much happens. There have been a number of them presented at the Traverse and I have to say that not all of have worked. Too often what little plot there is drifts and the audience is left with a feeling of 'is that it?'

My heart sank when the lights went down at the start of David Harrower's A Slow Air, Lewis Howden as Athol started speaking and it quickly became apparent that nothing much was going to happen. But I should have known better: Harrower is a master of his trade. A Slow Air is a beautiful, gentle, slow-burner of a play, loose ends are never quite tied up but, then, that's life.

The ever excellent Kathryn Howden as Athol's sister Morna provides some comic touches but the play's strength is that it illustrates that redemption is there for the taking if redemption is what we want. A gem.

A Slow Air, Traverse Theatre, until 21st August