TALLY'S BLOOD. To 12 April.

Scotland

TALLY'S BLOOD
by Ann Marie Di Mambro

Byre Theatre and Borderline tour to 12 April 2003

Runs 2hr 25min One interval
Review: Timothy Ramsden 15 March at Byre Theatre St. Andrews

Revived at the Byre 2-26 July 2003
TICKETS: 01334 475000

Laughter and sentiment sweep over this mid-century Italo-Scots saga.It's my experience Scots Italians don't like being stereotyped as ice-cream vendors, so I hesitantly point out the title of Italo-Scot Ann Marie Di Mambro's play, revived at St Andrews and on tour, refers to the bright red-on-white colouring of a raspberry ripple ice such as the two contented children on the programme cover are happily licking.

There's less contentment in the play: less than in Ken Alexander's production, which rolls confidently along with the script's humour but leaves the more serious moments exposed as sentimental. There again, this is not a story of evil: it's plain average dollops of pride and laziness that get in the way of happiness. Young Lucia, brought up by relatives in Scotland during the 1940s and 1950s, gently falls for besotted, though long inarticulate, Scots neighbour Hughie.

No sooner has love spoken its name than Lucia's Aunt steps in, determined she's too good for the lad who helps out in the Pedreschi café. Uncle Massimo may differ, but he hardly rules the roost where temperament is concerned.

Annette Staines' Aunt Rosinella plays the comedy expertly, but her necessary last act change of mind and heart – brought about by a stock, if neatly handled, revelation from the past – lacks conviction. It comes over as a dramatic device, not a true character development. Di Mambro doesn't give a lot to go on, but there is something: a revelation by local woman Bridget about her relation with young Franco Pedreschi, killed in World War II, which neatly returns us to a couple of earlier loose ends, tying them satisfyingly together.

Later plot complication comes via Lucia's dad, lazily opportunistic Luigi - with which wafer-thin character Alan McHugh grapples manfully, if not entirely successfully taking him beyond dramatic plot contrivance. By now, despite especially sympathetic work from Joanne Bett as little Lucia, light of everyone's life and drudge for the father who brings her home to marry her off, we're into strict feelgood territory.

Well staged and acted, this revival's like that ice-cream the children lick: fun while it lasts but lacking the iron and protein of a balanced meal.

Rosinella Pedreschi: Annette Staines
Massimo Pedreschi: Robin Cameron
Lucia Ianelli: Joanne Bett
Franco Pedreschi/Luigi Ianelli: Alan McHugh
Hughie Devlin: Jim Webster
Bridget Devlin: Shonagh Price

Director: Ken Alexander
Designer: Karen Tennent
Lighting: Simon Wilkinson

2003-03-18 15:05:01