Alright Sunshine is listed as ‘a razor-sharp monologue dissecting gender, power, and who owns public space.’ So naturally, I was eager to attend and have my own beliefs questioned. Were my beliefs questioned? Well, at points they were.
‘It’s like the sun casts a spell, some hypnotic solar stuff, and suddenly ordinary people dae terrible things…
Molly Geddes stars as PC Nicky McCreadie, a young police officer describing working as an officer and witnessing the impact sunshine has on communities. We get a beautiful journey quite early on of how enriched Edinburgh is as a community, and the different people who make up our city. From the beginning, Molly pulls the audience in – we’re hanging off every word. Molly is a strong performer, with impressive diction and confidence. We learn about PC McCreadie and how desperately she believes in the police force. We hear everything from childhood upbringing, relationships and McCreadie’s role in the service. Mainly, we learn about the role McCreadie is conditioned to fulfil due to being a woman.
Debbie Hannan’s direction is intimate and smooth, which feels fitting. Alongside this, sound and light transitions from Cecile Segura allow our performer to move nicely throughout this production. So far, so good.
Where I am sadly lost at points comes down to the writing. The story tries to compress so many experiences into one story that it doesn’t quite work for me. The pace and tone shift rather quickly on several occasions, causing it to lose its momentum and at points it confuses. Here the energy dips. Isla Cowan’s writing does convey trauma and its impacts well, particularly when our character is face to face with her awful past. This aspect is powerful. I wanted more – this felt like the real issue for our heroine.
The non-linear structure created unfortunate barriers. By the end I am confused as to what is ultimately the resolution for our protagonist. My thoughts around women working within the police also remains the same as when I arrived, however, I do commend Isla Cowan for being bold enough to tackle a subject that many writers would be terrified to investigate on stage.
