Fergus Lamont

Condensing an epic novel into a two-act play requires plenty of determination, and Communicado's Gerry Mulgrew has made a commendable effort with his adaptation of Robin Jenkins' Fergus Lamont.

However, with so much plot to fit in and a vast number of characters to introduce, there's barely a second to reflect on the subtler aspects of this cautionary tale, about a Glasgow boy born in a slum who strives to be acknowledged as a gentleman.

Gordon Davidson's flexible set is put to good use as young Fergus (Sandy Grierson) journeys through life from schoolboy to soldier, kept man to crofter... the stage is consistently gloomy regardless of whether the setting is slum, battlefield or Hebridean coast.

Much of the novel's satirical humour is to be found in the title character's frequently exasperating first-person narration; here, his arrogance and delusional tendencies are suggested by a handful of very funny lines.

There's plenty of humour elsewhere, though. John Kazek plays socialist schoolteacher Limpy Calderwood as a left-wing, male Jean Brodie, and Malcolm Shields has fun with Major Holmes, who coaches our anti-hero in the ways of the landed gentry.

A cast of eight play many dozens of characters, with Irene Allan and Lesley Hart particularly strong as Fergus's radical schoolfriend Mary and his true love Kirstie respectively, although the fact that Hart also plays his mother leaves some room for confusion.

A couple of scenes of birth and death are at odds with the rest of the production, while lively ensemble interludes provide welcome relief from the somewhat repetitive accordion music between scenes.

Mulgrew has chosen to focus on the story's political rather than personal conflicts, and nods to current events garner the biggest laughs. A sly reference to cash for peerages is perfectly woven into the dialogue, and the first act ends with a brilliant slapstick scene involving a gang of unruly anti-war protesters.

A consequence of this approach is, however, that the final scene lacks emotional resonance, for which the unnecessary intrusion of strobe lighting cannot compensate.