Showing @ King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 04 May

As the UK becomes increasingly atheist, violence between different Christian denominations is still very much a problem, just ask Neil Lennon. Michael Emans’ new production of Hector MacMillan’s 1970s script portrays just how these divides can manifest. After a night of heavy drinking in Glasgow, staunch protestant Bill (Stewart Porter) gets ready for the annual Orange walk. To Bill’s disappointment however, his son Cameron (Colin Little) doesn’t share in his enthusiasm. As protestant neighbour Georgina (Michelle Gallagher) and Bill try and change Cameron’s mind, they inadvertently upset the catholic Bridget (Jane McCarry) from downstairs.

MacMillan’s play is a vernacular punch up of religion and politics, with Bill and Bridget providing most of the conflict. The formidable duo clash with unrestrained venom, using history to support both their arguments and justify their negativity towards each other. As well as being comical, these articulated attacks also provide essential background information on these much-contested “truths” of the past. However, so much detail is packed into these short bouts they feel like awkward lessons haphazardly spliced into a piece of drama. The single room set struggles to contain the powerful magnitude of the characters (and what they’re saying) but although the narrative is interesting and important, the unimaginative action happening on stage doesn’t quite match the subject becoming a little tedious.

MacMillan balances the contentious issues with human and emotive elements, his paralleling of Cameron’s loss of faith with the death of his mother exposing that behind the sectarian bickering, we all share in humanity. As Cameron argues against Bill and Georgina, countering their protestant assertions with undeniable “facts”, his discourse begs the question ‘What position does religion have in modern society?’ As the extreme believers castigate their opposites, Cameron’s apathy towards Christianity is fuelled by a perceived futility in the violence and hatred. What Cameron’s actions and emotions suggest is, that religion shouldn’t be a tool for harbouring ancient prejudices, it should instead be a bridge for conquering our differences and embracing what connects us.

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