Yellow Moon

An unlikely pair of troubled teens go on the run in David Greig's brilliant new play Yellow Moon, which combines a gripping story with often painfully honest characterisation.

One fateful night, coincidence brings together Stag Lee (so-called thanks to the deer-adorned cap he wears) and Silent Leila (so-called because she never speaks). A life-changing event and a snap decision later, the duo are headed north in search of refuge, but when they reach their destination they find treacherous weather and a man with a gun.

Yellow Moon starts off as a familiar account of mixed-up adolescence. Lee's cocksure posturing and anti-social behaviour mask serious problems at home while Leila battles feelings of despair and insignificance with silence, celebrity glossies and self-harm.

When these characters are removed from their discomfort zone the play crackles to life, laying bare their struggles in the absence of corrupting influences from the outside world. It's in these conditions - not dissimilar to those of a certain reality TV show - that Leila and Lee discover themselves, and then each other. They're not the only ones struggling with identity issues, either - celebrity holiday-maker Holly and groundskeeper Frank have secrets of their own.

This is Greig's third play for TAG, whose remit is to produce theatre for young people, but while its central characters are teenagers this certainly couldn't be described as children theatre. Due to what the company terms 'challenging content' Yellow Moon is recommended for ages 15 and over, but any kid who watches Big Brother is unlikely to be further corrupted. Parents, however, may well find themselves squirming.

The play's style - four actors sharing narration duties and playing five characters - might prove distancing at first, but clever tinkering with form by both the playwright and director Guy Hollands draws the audience right to the heart of the story.

Young actors Nalini Chetty and Andrew Scott-Ramsay give remarkable performances as Leila and Lee, especially given that this is her professional debut while he graduated from the RSAMD just this summer. An excellent cast is completed by Keith Macpherson and Beth Marshall as the older (but by no means wiser) characters.

No props or set are required - just committed actors, masterful direction and a first-class script. An absolute gem of a show.