Showing @ Underbelly – Bristo Sq, Edinburgh until Sun 24 Aug (not 11) @ 13:30
It’s 1989 in Liverpool and Greg shares the obsessions of so many 14 year-olds: Football, girls – much as they scare and confuse him – money and, given the time and place, the acquisition of that ultimate sign of manhood, a fulsome Tom Selleck moustache.
James Cooney gives a brilliant, febrile performance as Greg, swaying wildly between rage, joy and bewilderment, drawing you completely into the teenager’s narrow but full world. Writer Luke Barnes, who is too young to have been more than a child during the time of his play’s setting, avoids the obvious ploy of filling the text with pop cultural references, instead concentrating on the universal truths of adolescent life. He’s particularly strong in capturing the feeling of claustrophobia that bears down on young lads on the cusp of adulthood.
Those familiar with recent history will know that Liverpool and 1989 point to one pivotal and tragic moment and it’s to both the writer and the performer’s great credit that even though many will be aware of what’s coming, the work they’ve done in making you feel that you know Greg, means that you are there with him through every painful breath. Bottleneck is a powerful combination of great writing and committed performance and definitely a show not to be missed.
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