Based on private letters of Robert Burns along with recently digitised historic archival material, The Burns Project returns to Edinburgh for a short run this summer.
Written by Scottish actor James Clements, the intimate interactive performance takes place around a long white themed dinner table where 20 audience members are seated with another 20 seated round the edge of the room in the Henry Irving Room at the Royal Lyceum Theatre.
A recording of several people giving voice to their particular speculative take on Burns is played as the audience arrives and continues intermittently across the performance, reminding listeners of the many facets of Burns’ life and their many interpretations.
Under the expert direction of Cora Bissett, Clements dramatically sweeps across the major points in Burns’ tragically short life. His family poverty, early sexual awakening, nationalism, political views, Masonic connections, morals and ultimate despair are both narrated and expressed with impressive gusto and effective costume adjustments. Across the piece, parts of poems such as To a Mouse, Welcome to a Bastart Wean and Tam O’Shanter are recited at pertinent points.
As a product of what used to be highly regarded Scottish education, Burns was always alive to his place in society yet when in his prime was well assured of his own worth and Clements shows these with equal assurance.
Use of primary sources exposes that he is much more than either the rogue or romantic myth. It shows a human being who can’t be pinned down either romantically or politically and one who latterly had to sacrifice principles to survive.
Its delve beyond the clichés that surround Burns offers a nuanced picture of him that may be a revelation to some but Burns’ words, whether in poetry or prose, are emotive and powerful enough as they stand so the licence taken to change a line from Is There for Honest Poverty from ‘a man’s a man’ to what sounded like ‘folks are folk …’ is disappointing.
Most of Clements’ interpretation comes across as honest and heartfelt but the update of him acting like a 21st century version of himself, though clearly meant to appeal to younger audiences who may not know much of the detail of his life, sits incongruously among the authenticity of his words. Likewise, the clever use of miniature props is somewhat marred by the anachronistic use of tights rather than stockings in the seemingly endless line of small garments to symbolise his many offspring.
The Burns Project was co-created with the National Trust for Scotland yet for all its research and success (it has had 2 national tours, a recent US tour and was a sell-out Fringe show) still feels like a Fringe show and maybe that’s enough.
On the 30th June performance Ray Aggs provided music and vocals.
Venue: Royal Lyceum Theatre
Dates: Wednesday 24th June – Sunday 5th July
Running time: 60mins
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 