Elaine C Smith Lands Perfect Role in Traverse's Cathy
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- Eilidh Loan wrote 'Cathy,' her second play after debut comedy 'Moorcroft' (inspired by her father's amateur football team), now shifting to a female-centred family story inspired by her grandmother
- Elaine C Smith plays Cathy, a newly widowed working-class woman grappling with grief after husband Tommy's funeral — a casting the playwright's grandmother specifically requested
- The production runs at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, until 30 August, with a set by Kenny Miller that shifts between Cathy's front room and a charity shop where Amy works
- The cast features Michele Gallagher as Cathy's grieving daughter Flo, Alan Orr as Flo's Protestant husband Colin, and Sally Reid as fellow bereaved charity shop worker Lizzie
- The reviewer praised Smith's 'battle-hardened precision' with acerbic, sharp jokes but called the play 'dramatically underpowered,' noting the only real stake is the family's cordial relations without the placatory Tommy
- A pregnant Amy hopes for a less acrimonious future, providing what the reviewer called a touching new-life and Christmas resolution — even as the play covers limited emotional ground
Why it matters: Loan's shift from a male-centred debut to a female-centred family drama, with grandmother-mandated casting of one of Scotland's best-known actors, marks a significant evolution for the playwright. But the reviewer's 'dramatically underpowered' verdict suggests the script cannot match Smith's commanding presence on stage.
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