KELI
★★★★☆ Affecting
Royal Lyceum Theatre: Tues 13 – Sat 17 May 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
First seen in preview at the Lyceum, and having gone through several different incarnations, Martin Green’s play KELI is finally a full-length stage drama.
Green is probably best known as one-third of the musically adventurous folk trio Lau, and he has also composed the music for this play set in the world of the brass band. While there are undoubtedly problems with the production, from the National Theatre of Scotland and Green’s own Lepus productions, it still has real power.
Liberty Black and Billy Mack. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
Keli is a troubled 17-year-old who shines on tenor horn in the band of her home town, a former mining community in the Central Belt that continues to define itself by the events of the strike of forty years ago. This musical ability is the only thing giving real meaning to her attempts to juggle college, working at Scotmid and caring for her mother.
But even that has gone wrong, as we are told in flashback after an attempt to steal an instrument leaves Keli deep underground in an abandoned mine, in the company of someone who may or may not be a supposedly long-dead trade unionist.
effective and deeply emotional
Liberty Black, in her first professional stage appearance, is very good indeed as Keli, providing both the character’s sweary contrariness and her vulnerability. There is a realism to the scenes with her mother (an excellent Karen Fishwick) that is extremely effective and deeply emotional.
Liberty Black and Karen Fishwick with Billy Mack. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
The other performances are equally well considered. Phil McKee is the bandleader whose life has been blighted by a conviction during the strike, and is suitably human and conflicted. Billy Mack gives a stoicism barely concealing deep sadness to the strange figure who encounters Keli underground. Olivia Hemmati, also making her professional debut, is convincingly exuberant in two contrasting roles.
While some of the characterisation is a trifle broad-brush (a couple of the smaller roles doubled by the cast verge on the cartoonish) there is always a spark to Green’s dialogue. Some highly convincing swearing enhances the well-drawn evocations of anger, anguish and anxiety. Bryony Shanahan’s direction is sympathetic and gives all of the characters sufficient room to breathe.
add-ons
However, despite each scene working on its own terms, the play never quite works as a coherent whole. The structure is sound, and the realistic and the fantastic elements work together well – something that is echoed by Alisa Kalyanova’s set. Yet the ruminations on community and creativity, while clearly sincere and deeply felt, act as add-ons to Keli’s story rather than being fully integrated into it. The second half in particular drags a touch, with some elements (fun as they are) being unnecessary.
Louis Abbott, Hanna Mbuya and Karen Fishwic. Pic Mihaela Bodlovic 7
The onstage music is played by MD Louis Abbott, Hannah Mbuya, Fishwick and the impressive Andrew McMillan, who provides Keli’s tenor horn. Much of it is a juddering, bubbling underscore, often providing a reverb-laden counterpoint to Robbie Butler’s doomy lighting, and does not always come across as vitally as it might.
balance
The balance between music and dialogue is always perfect, courtesy of sound designer George Dennis, but after a while the score starts to be less effective. In comparison, the eventual appearance of a full band (Whitburn on this occasion, Kingdom Brass on others) has the emotional impact much of the rest seems to have been striving for, yet never quite achieving.
There is still much to recommend the production, however, that has huge heart and real skill behind it.
Running time: Two hours and 15 minutes (including one interval).
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay St, EH9 3AX
Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 May 2025
Daily at 7.30pm; Sat matinee: 2.30pm.
Details and tickets: Book here.
Dundee Rep, Tay Square, Dundee DD1 1PB. Phone: 01382 223530
Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 May 2025
Daily at 7.30pm; Sat matinee: 2.30pm.
Details and tickets: Book here.
Perth Theatre, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ. Phone: 01738 621031
Wednesday 4 – Saturday 7 June 2025
Daily at 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat matinee: 2.30pm.
Details and tickets: Book here.
Tramway, 25 Albert Dr, Glasgow G41 2PE Phone: 0845 330 3501
Wednesday 4 – Saturday 7 June 2025
Daily at 7.30pm; Sat matinee: 2.30pm.
Details and tickets: Book here.
Phil McKee, Hanna Mbuya, Liberty Black, Andrew McMillan, Karen Fishwick and Lois Abbott. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
ENDS
