Blackout, by the Thickskin Theatre company, is one of Hairline’s top picks of the 2010 Fringe so far – a five star show by a dynamic new group. Hairline reviewers Martin Miller and Morag Donald met with the director, Neil Bettles, and cast in the Underbelly bar after another successful sold-out performance. We find Bettles in good form, simultaneously relaxed and astounded by the continuing success of the play.
The play opens with the image of a young Glaswegian boy in a prison cell, confused and desperately questioning what he has done wrong, and how he got there. The Thickskin company then skilfully reveals the events leading up to his arrest in a visceral, visual way that delivers an assault on the senses and emotionally engages the audience with a character who they might not normally have any connection with. It’s a true story, adapted by writer Davey Anderson from a series of interviews with a young offender.
Bettles has been delighted by the public’s response to the play. He describes how it has affected the audience in a variety of ways, ranging from people eager to find out what happened to the young offender, to others who simply related to some of the play’s themes. A woman whose own son had faced similar charges recounted how it had enabled her to reflect on his arrest from a different perspective. In fact Bettles tells us that he believes women generally view the story from a mother’s perspective while men tend to look back upon experiences from their own youth, drawing parallels with the experiences of the young offender.
Having first encountered the play in 2008, Bettles was struck by its potential and was motivated to leave his native London to cast in Glasgow, where the original events took place. He held open auditions and Bettles was overwhelmed by the wealth of talent, describing how difficult it was to make the final casting. Many of the young people who came forward could relate elements of the script to their own backgrounds and social circles, giving the piece real integrity. The director’s determination to find the right cast has clearly paid off, with many reviews specifically praising the raw talent of the young actors and predicting a bright future ahead of them, something that Bettles says, fills him his pride.
The director has plans to take the production on tour and several theatres have already expressed an interest. He believes that Blackout will translate to any location due to the universal themes and emotions running through it. The main character could just as easily be from any city.
There has also been great interest in the production company Thickskin, and Bettles is keen to remain true to his ethos of developing young talent. He hopes to find a new writer and artists to work on a production from scratch.
Hairline eagerly anticipates future productions from Thickskin, which has emerged from this year’s festival as a shining talent and a company to watch. Come back soon to read what the cast themselves have to say about their play!
Words by Anna Price & Morag Donald
Photographies courtesy of Neil Bettles
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