I spent a year watching Scottish theatre - here are my highlights

One early example was the National Theatre of Scotland/ Dundee Rep production Make It Happen. James Graham’s story of the disgraced banker Fred ‘The Shred’ Goodwin – a ‘Genghis Khan with a pocket calculator’ confirmed the writer’s talent for making even the darkest creatures relatable. His ability to humanise the central character is the consequence of dramatising his targets, while asking why the likes of Goodwin behave in the way they do, what is their motivation, what are they struggling with?

Graham illustrated perfectly that those we consider monsters can always be humanised to a degree. Mind you, he’s yet to tackle Michelle Mone. A terrific production, directed by Andrew Panton, with Sandy Grierson and Brian Cox revealing the fun to be had even when the world’s banking system is sliding off a cliff.

On a much smaller scale, great fun was had in a very different world of depression, which is the recovery room for struggling addicts. Dancing Shoes, by Stephen Christopher and Graeme Smith was played at as part of the Play Pie and a Pint season in Glasgow, offering the incredibly uplifting story of three men – performed perfectly by Ross Allan, Stephen Docherty and Craig Mclean – who form an unlikely friendship.

Read our reviews

• Towering performance from Brian Cox recalls Blairite Cool Britannia
• Review: Wild Rose, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
• I've never been so glad to see the curtain fall on any play in my life
• Review: Small Acts of Love at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
• Review: Grease at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

If this play doesn’t reappear in the year ahead, every theatre producer in the land should be beaten over the head with a very soggy copy of The Stage. There is no doubt that Wild Rose, which premiered at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, was an uplifting tale. Nicole Taylor’s story of the Glaswegian country singer who yearns to conquer Nashville featured some lovely layers; the eponymous hero is in fact an ex-con and a struggling single mother. But the greatest selling point for this musical was the lead actor. Dawn Sievewright’s performance was more powerful than Lando Norris’s McLaren. It was a role the Glaswegian seemed destined to play, and Sievewright is a shoo-in for the central role when the show transfers to the West End of London.

Sometimes it’s a performance that determines the effect a show has on the audience. David Hayman's performance as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at Glasgow’s Pavilion was especially memorable. The actor managed to transcend the simple bleakness of the play by engaging totally with the audience. Theatre directors should be running classes in Hayman, trying to distil his total performance skills and sharing them with the talent of the future.

A spectacular moment of the year was in seeing the wonderful Citizens Theatre reopen after seven long years, with a classy frontage. The very first production, Small Acts of Love, saw writer Frances Poet and musician Ricky Ross combine to re-tell the story of friendships which emerged from the horror that was the Pan Am Lockerbie tragedy.

Blythe Jandoo as Sandy in Grease (Image: Neil Cooper)

More contemporary storytelling, however, emerged at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow with Black Hole Sign, which is the dark area of a CT scan that suggests a haemorrhage on the brain. This new play was written by Uma Nada-Rajah and it wasn’t a surprise to learn she is also a senior staff nurse working in critical care. The incisive play featured three generations of NHS nurses doing their best keep people alive in spite of a health system suffering from its own black hole sign.

Of course, we’re always asking questions these days of the relevance of Grease, and that was the case with Pitlochry Theatre’s summer production. And sure, yes, the script is a little dated and the boys at Rydell High don’t quite manage to lose all of their misogyny. But it still features some fantastic songs and an endearing romcom plot. And this year’s Zuko, Alex Service, proved that professional rugby’s loss is the theatre world’s gain.

There are faultlines to be found in every production; that’s the nature of theatre. However, Hamilton at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, was quite perfect. The dramatic content, characterisation and dance were sublime. The only problem with Hamilton was the next time you walk into a theatre you can only hope the production is half as entertaining. But what of panto, I hear you asking. (Oh, yes, you are). Well, the King’s Theatre in Glasgow swam against the traditional panto tide in producing The Little Mermaid, and while the storyline lacked emotional weight, the scenery was quite spectacular and the little exploding gas balls which exploded over the audience were quite wonderful. And Darren Brownlie and Johnny Mac confirm the future of Scottish panto is indeed in very good hands.

Yet, the real magic of the year was to be found at the Lyceum in Edinburgh with Cinderella: A Fairy Tale. Yes, it took a couple of pages to get going, and there was a concern that the puppetry would get in the way of the dramatic build up. And it was worrying when the very funny Richard Conlin (Ella’s dad) shuffled off before you could say Ball ticket! But this re-telling by Sally Cookson was worked out beautifully by director Jemima Levick. And it was glorious to see the story kept in place, yet with a modern update. Cinders doesn’t have two Ugly stepsisters, instead she’s allocated a stepsister who could have been the love child of Just Williams’ Violet Bott and a camp step brother with a wee fancy for the Prince. And who says children are little fearties who need to be fed trigger warnings? The scene in which the wicked stepmother cuts off the toes of her daughter in order to fit the sparkly trainers was glorious. And the weans in the audience loved it.

A great end to a terrific year.