Warrior
Black Dingo Productions.
Running time 50 minutes
Just at St John’s, St John’s Church, Princes St, EH2 4BJ (Venue 127)
Fri 1 – Wed 13 Aug 2014
Daily at 14.00
Tickets from edfringe.com/whats-on/warrior
Sixteen-year-old Evan is in big trouble. He’s facing court proceedings over sectarian postings he has made on-line. He is an angry teenager. In a series of monologues from Evan, his mum Liz and his dad Dave, the audience begins to piece together his story and gradually uncover the truth behind his actions.
The atmosphere is heightened by the way the play is staged. The audience sits around the edge of a small side chapel in St John’s Episcopal Church while the players give their take on Evan’s story. You might think that Evan is a bitter young bigoted Rangers fan reared by bigots so what’s surprising about that? He’s only spewing out on-line what has been bred into him. If so, you’ll soon be disabused of that notion.
Euan Brockie brings raw emotion to his role as Evan. Bit-by-bit we see how this quiet, unassuming computer games geek – who prefers to sit at the back in class and keep a low profile – is goaded by the class bully, Mark Dempsey – a ‘shifty, sleekit wee shit’ – into the outburst that brought the police to his door.
A sterling understated performance from Marilyn Wilson as Liz brings tears to the eye as she tries to cope with this new and threatening situation wrestle with her own sense of guilt and responsibility and that of her husband and son.
Adam Tompkins as Dave brings alive a sense of bewilderment and defensiveness as he sees his career as a successful television actor likely to come crashing down around his ears in the face of unwelcome publicity with reporters camping on his front doorstep.
There is often a rush to judgement when people post sectarian, racist or homophobic sentiments on-line. Some of this judgement may turn out to be justified but his play suggests that everyone has a backstory to explain – though not excuse – their action. Thi s thoughtful play demands a thoughtful response. It’s a shame that the audience was so small.
***** Five Stars
Company website: http://blackdingoproductions.wordpress.com/
Just Festival website: http://www.justjust.org
Counter Culture 
BB said
So if someone is posting sectarian remarks and is a bitter young bigot raised by bigots, we are to assume he is a Rangers fan? There is an abundance of evidence at hand which tells us intolerance in Scottish society is anything but a Rangers problem.To single someone or some group out dependent on their colour of football scarf is a blatant form prejudice in itself. How ironic. How sad. With blinkered attitudes like this what chance do we have of ever moving on?
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David Kerr said
Thanks BB for your comments. I was referring to the lazy unthinking assumptions people make. Evan in the play mentions that press coverage of his case assumed that he was a “bigoted Rangers thug”. I am not endorsing these assumptions but challenging them. You are quite right to say that these are also a form of prejudice. Sectarianism isn’t a one-way street. If you’re in Edinburgh check this play out. Don’t assume that it’s taking a cheap dig at your team and its supporters. It isn’t.
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