Scottish Cyrano de Bergerac

The Citizens’ Theatre is currently closed for three years for rebuilding, however they are still putting on some productions at the Tramway Theatre, and that is where I found myself with Karen D on Wednesday evening. The play was Edwin Morgan’s Scots translation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. I must admit that I didn’t know that this existed until very recently and I wondered what the Scots language could possibly bring to the play. I needn’t have worried: the vivid and expressive Scots tongue suited the braggart but insecure Cyrano and his Gascon soldier friends very well. Brian Ferguson was excellent in the title role and had an awful lot to do, the whole production depended on his heartfelt monologues. I thought that the fights were very well choreographed, and as Karen and I were in the very front row at the side we were alarmingly close to the action! Jessica Hardwick was delightful as Roxane; it was easy to see how she inspired love and devotion, and her intellect matched that of Cyrano, unlike nice (and handsome) but dim Christian. The play was funny but underneath it was so sad. I was really glad that I went to see it.