Picasso and Me

A young Scottish man, estranged from his father, finds himself heading for the South of France in the company of a photographer.

The photographer will photograph Picasso's paintings, the young man will assist him, the young man will have his portrait painted by the great man himself and years later that portrait will come back into his life and change his relationship with his own son.

Around this fictional scenario Mike Maran weaves the story of Picasso the man - destroyer of all around him, bad son, worse father, great painter. This is storytelling theatre; the space is small, the setting basic but the anecdotes, particularly the Picasso ones that prove to be mythical, are gripping.

The best moments are those that deal with the painter's appalling treatment of his sons; you really do feel for them. Maybe selfishness is a given in colossi of the arts but this Spaniard had it in spades.

There was a little too much of the framing device. I wouldn't want to lose the genuinely touching final moments but I felt there was excessive repetition of the back story before we got to them. All the Picasso stuff, though, is utterly fascinating, aided immensely by Mike Maran's easy going, slightly shambling anecdotal style. The deliciously Mediterranean tinged-music by Karen Wimhurst is a real bonus.

It may be just a little too long but it's a very enjoyable show and it does make you see Picasso with a fresh eye.