@ Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat 12 Mar 2016

Northern Stage’s adaptation of Get Carter, drawn from the original Ted Lewis novel, Jack’s Return Home, follows ruthless criminal Jack Carter returning to Newcastle to avenge the recent murder of his brother Frank. Torben Betts’ filmic vision should appease devotees of Mike Hodge’s iconic work of pulp fiction, with which the play shares its name, but may struggle to convince others.

Centred around the vengeful Jack Carter, portrayed by Kevin Wathen, the play is presented through a series of lengthy monologues directed at Frank, his recently deceased brother. The entire play feels as though it is set in Jack’s tormented mind, and the dingy, sleazy underworld of bars and back alleys, a figment of his rotten memoirs. Wathen presents Jack as the merciless and dogged gangster he believes he is destined only to be. Although offering an insight into his motivations, these monologues explain the hopelessness of a gangster’s fate. Jack is beyond reform and Wathen’s callous gaze asserts this categorically.

The coarseness of post-industrial Newcastle is ever present, with the mountain of red bricks immersing the stage. Alongside a colour palette of oranges and reds, this brick pit, designed by 59 Productions, casts furtive shadows and suggests Jack has left the criminal underworld and entered Hades.  The industrial abyss also plays host to pallid drummer, Martin Douglas – a silent and strong reminder of Jack’s dead brother Frank, as well as his inner torment. The jazz percussion played by Douglas transports the piece into the realm of 70s noir and contributes a rhythmic tension throughout. However, this is not sustained in the exchanges between Jack and the rest of the cast, as he twists and turns toward the ugly truth.

Sadly, the energy falls a little flat in act two compared with the sharp and shadowy beginning, but overall, a strong production, cinematic moments and a cool bluesy soundtrack make Get Carter a suitably entertaining piece.