And They Played Shang-A-Lang
★★★☆☆ Exhilarating
Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge (Venue 7): Sun 3 – Sun 24 Aug 2025
Review by Orna Clarke
And They Played Shang-A-Lang at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge for the whole run of the Fringe, wonderfully navigates the highs and lows of growing up in Edinburgh in the 1970s.
Edinburgh Little Theatre’s production of the jukebox musical is packed with young talent who take the audience on an entertaining, whirlwind coming-of-age journey.
Narrating the story is Jim, revealed as the writer of this so-called ‘semi-autobiographical’ play within a play, and portrayed by the show’s real-life writer Derek Douglas. His narration anchors the show as it jumps between scenes: a comforting presence, occasionally he appears quietly onstage to observe the last (often chaotic) seconds, like he’s watching them unfold along with the audience – ready to share his reflections and introduce the next chapter.
Ashley Garrett, Eve Rennar, Eve Forbes and Savannah Stacey in And The Played Shang-a-Lang. Pic: ELT
Convincingly delivered by the cast of youngsters, Shang-A-Lang’s quick dialogue not only moves the plot along, but also signals cultural touchpoints from 70’s Scotland: bras stuffed with toilet paper, Irn Bru and Top of the Pops at youth club on a Friday night, a mother’s cooking – ‘mince and potatoes in winter, ham salad in summer’ – paint the setting in a vivid picture.
The costumes give away the era too, most notably in the hilariously exaggerated shaggy wigs worn by the boys: Malky (Sean Michael), Gary (Ryan Donnelly), Steve (Ellis Batchelor) and Alex (Connor Reed). And Douglas’ cameo as Creepin’-Jesus-turned-Donny-Osmond, which inspires the boys to steal another set of wigs from their mothers (complete with some unfortunate consequences), nods to an obsession with personal image and trends which will no doubt resonate with modern audiences.
full spectrum
As the girls – Helen (Ashley Garrett), Amy (Eve Rennar), Jane (Eve Forbes) and Sarah (Savannah Stacey) – contemplate their future careers, the boys contemplate their chances with the girls, throwing into amusing relief the divergence in their priorities. And although each group dances to their own songs at the school disco – the girls giving a charming performance of ABBA’s Waterloo, the boys raving along to Blockbuster by Sweet – they eventually come together in a heartening show of solidarity to demand ‘We want the Rollers!’, cueing the song that gives the show its name.
The cast’s performances here lay bare the full spectrum of emotion that accompany these teenage rites of passage: confusion and embarrassment, confidence and exhilaration.
In addition to the boy and girl groups, the cast flex their versatility by presenting a range of other characters through vignettes, including a funeral and a family Hogmanay party.
Derek Douglas in And They Played Shang-a-Lang. Pic ELT.
Garrett’s performance is the standout here, both as the mean teacher attempting to direct a disastrous nativity scene (one of a few nods to the influence of religion on Scottish culture at the time), and as a smug Londoner who patronises a ‘Scotch runaway’ with a perfectly sickening flourish. Rennar, too, is a safe pair of hands with each of the characters she portrays, from Jim’s fond niece to a weepy nativity angel desperate for the loo.
Director Mairi Ridley’s choice to have the cast sing over the songs creates a nice effect: these teenagers would be singing along to their favourite tunes, after all, and the original versions of such well-known tracks create a sense of nostalgic familiarity. A highlight is the surprisingly poignant rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, one of several moments where the production doesn’t shy away from exploring the sometimes deep pain and complexity of growing up.
Jim tells the audience: ‘now you know my story,’ though ironically that story is told completely through other characters – because, ultimately, coming-of-age is a universal story. Shang-A-Lang asks: ‘when do you stop growing up?’ and appears to answer its own question with a resounding: ‘never’.
Running time: One hour (no interval).
Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge (Lower Hall), Freemason’s Hall, 96 George St, EH2 3DH (Venue 7).
Sunday 3 Aug – Sun day 24 August 2025.
Daily: 2pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Braw Venues website: www.brawvenues.com
Edinburgh Little Theatre website: www.edinburghlittletheatre.com
Show Instagram: @shangalang2025
ENDS
