YOUR GUIDE TO EDINBURGH'S FESTIVALS
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ED2013 5/5 Reviews ED2013 Theatre Reviews
Ciara (Traverse Theatre & Datum Point)
By Gavin Leech | Published on Saturday 17 August 2013
A stunning monologue encompassing Glasgow’s gangland and haute couture. Ciara (Blythe Duff) is an eloquent and powerful gallerist, full of pride, humour and scorn for high and low. Mentioning her father brings the play to sudden halt – we see behind Ciara’s ‘hard’ cultural dealings to the far harder industry behind: the crimelord who failed to shield her from his sordid world. She reports the knife fight that begins her downfall in the abstract, ‘man A cuts boy B’ – but she’s compassion too, wailing for vacant alcoholic youth. We realise she’s helpless, trapped into corruption and brutality – she’s even seen to kidnap her lover’s child for gain. And so she rises again to the hard heart of it. Mesmerising.
Traverse Theatre, until 25 Aug, times vary.
tw rating 5/5 │ [Gavin Leech]
