Showing @ Tron Theatre, Glasgow until Sat 1 Nov @ 19:45

Tackling the meaty subject of corruption and hypocrisy in the Catholic Church, Cardinal Sinne is a Glasgay! commission inspired by the 2013 scandal surrounding the resignation of Cardinal Keith O’Brien. It aims to explore the problems of institutional self-preservation, through the medium of traditional farce. Playwright Raymond Burke interweaves black comedy with moments of serious contemplation, addressing Catholic attitudes towards homosexuality and how the priesthood may attract gay men.

The cars are waiting, the parade policed and the Protestant and gay rights protesters assembled. Inside, the Cardinal prepares to leave for Rome to take part in the papal conclave. Cardinal Sinne is famous for his zero tolerance stance on homosexuality, but it is clear from the outset that he has a weakness for his younger colleagues. This sets up a witty barrage of comedic mishaps which lead to the unravelling and judgement of the Cardinal’s past misdemeanours. When confronted by a journalist about historic counts of homosexual abuse, he pulls out every trick to avoid the scandal he maintains will do more harm to the Church and believers in Scotland than to himself. This is the crux of the play: not just the existence of hypocrisy when it comes to attitudes towards things like homosexuality, but the practise of papering over a scandal to protect the institution, rather than supporting the victims.

Every line of this script is crafted into charmingly crude innuendo, and actor-director Grant Smeaton’s portrayal of the Cardinal in question is highly entertaining. The real events which inspire the premise make for a delicious subject matter and the message of the piece is clear if a little forced towards the end. The plot is predictably structured and you certainly know where it’s all going. However, getting there is certainly an enjoyable (though not quite earth-shattering) journey, and an excellent cast make for a slickly executed performance.