The Big Day
★★★★☆ Absorbing
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39): Sat 2 – Fri 22 Aug 2025 (even dates only)
Review by Hugh Simpson
The Big Day by Milly Sweeney, Pure Class and New Celts’ production at theSpace on the Mile on even dates throughout the Fringe, is an extremely impressive piece of politically informed, compassionate theatre.
Sweeney’s play is set around Glasgow’s The Big Day free festival in 1990, where a host of Scottish-based acts played various stages around the city to an audience estimated at a quarter of a million. It focuses on four friends who are arrested when their heckling of Sheena Easton (whose newly acquired Mid-Atlantic drawl infuriated the crowd) involves the throwing of glow sticks.
A scene from The Big Day. Pic: Pure Class Theatre.
This is a very strong piece of writing, from someone who has quickly been established as one of Scotland’s most interesting new playwrights. The characterisations are deft and believable and there is a rich vein of political content. The play is dealing with a time when Glasgow was undergoing seismic changes, and not necessarily for the better for most of its residents.
It is, however, one of those plays where the research shows too clearly. It is all a little too convenient that they know exactly who is playing when, that each song they can hear from their holding cell just happens to be one of that artist’s most well-known, and that they all like it.
very fine
Some of the political content is not entirely integrated; the ending, while stirring, appears formulaic compared to what has gone before, and puts a little more weight on Deacon Blue than they can stand – even if Ricky Ross’s speech from the stage is what many people might remember from the festival.
The rest of it is very fine, however, and done justice by an excellent group of performers. Eva Winton’s Debs is an apparently together person with a strong need for control, but Winton shows the character’s subtleties very well.
A scene from The Big Day. Pic: Pure Class Theatre.
The combative Fiona (Sydney Mulligan) is another very subtle and believable characterisation, played with a remarkable energy and conviction. Fiona’s sister Gracie, seemingly more conventional, is portrayed by Megan O’Grady with nuance. Kirsty, mourning a recent loss, is given sympathy and life by Hannah Fraser.
The characters are all credible and completely different without resorting to cliché; the introduction of an outsider, Louise (Rebecca Munro), to create conflict and help introduce the others’ backstories, is done beautifully. Munro also provides a very sympathetic performance.
Lucy Pedersen’s direction is inventive and empathetic, and makes good use of Andrew Cole’s clever minimalist set.
There is an energy and craft here that, allied to a clever and humane piece of writing, makes for a successful production.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3), 80 High St, EH1 1TH. (Venue 39).
Saturday 2 – Friday 22 August 2025).
Even dates only: 1.55 pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Facebook: @Pure-Class-Theatre
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A scene from The Big Day. Pic: Pure Class Theatre.
ENDS
