Review: Cringe, Scottish Storytelling Centre 

It’s the first day at a new secondary school, in a new place, and Reid Aitken (Scott Fletcher) knows no one. The bullies have their eyes on him and he’s trying to keep his head down, remain invisible. It’s only by chance that he makes friends with Gordon (Scott Hoatson) who is their existing victim, and together they navigate the difficulties of high school. But when an unfortunate, excruciatingly embarrassing incident leaves Reid horribly in the public eye he reacts badly, and it’s Gordon who feels the impact, their friendship deeply marred.

First and foremost, Cringe by Ross Mackay is a brilliantly entertaining show for ages 10-15 years. It sets the perfect tone, never patronising, while balancing excellent comedy and recognisable circumstances with exploration of some really important topics. The cast of three (two Scotts and Kirsty McDuff) bring the tale vividly to life, multiroling in energetic, authentic and often comic performances across distinctly drawn characters. They use the space to its full advantage, aided by Sonya Smullen’s impressively inventive design work which sees the entire set coated in blackboard paint to create a retro classroom theme, using chalk and chalkdust along with an ancient overhead projector to animate the historical setting in surprising ways. Themes from mythology neatly parallel consideration of coping mechanisms – finding armour in play, allowing for some wonderful costumes and interactive imagery. And the whole thing gels beautifully with the glue of Kate Bonney’s crafted lighting design and evocative sound design from Ben Fletcher.

Joe Douglas‘ meticulous direction is slick and characterful, embracing the drama of storytelling to keep things constantly flowing while leaning in beautifully to the physicalities that define close friendship or unspoken tension. And it’s that idea of the unspoken that is woven so effectively throughout this play. It never hesitates to speak out loud the words that are so difficult for the teens to use, setting up familiar tensions and anxieties before voicing them and working towards a positive conclusion. We often talk about Theatre for Young Audiences being a safe space to explore difficult subjects and this is an outstanding example of that, planting seeds of understanding and allowing them to gradually grow in the audience’s activated mind before they are made visible and tackled. From mental health issues, to bullying to child carers and the importance of integrity in friendship, Cringe raises a multitude of issues – as might be common in any young person’s life – without them becoming overwhelming.

Mackay ends the story with absolute clarity, offering empowerment through the concept of finding strength in weakness and showing that finding empathy can be one of the most important skills we ever acquire. It’s a fine piece of writing, skilfully executed.

Written by Ross Mackay
Directed byJoe Douglas
Set Design by Sonya Smullen
Lighting by Kate Bonney
Sound by Ben Fletcher
Produced by Scottish Theatre Producers, in association with Imaginate, supported by One Ren. Funded by Creative Scotland’s Open Fund.

Cringe Is aimed at ages 10-15 years. It has completed its run as part of Imaginate Festival