Greg hemphill: Appointment with The Wicker Man review

Edinburgh Fringe : Appointment with The Wicker Man – The Assembly Rooms

The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★☆

West end smash comedy The 39 Steps has carved a path for comedic stage adaptations over the years including Ben Hur and Casablanca, now The National Theatre Scotland turn their gaze onto cult horror classic The Wicker Man.

It has to be said from the outset that this isn’t a straight adaptation, Appointment with the Wicker Man, take the premise of a play within the play, performed by The Loch Parry Players, have a read of their very funny programme before the show to get a taste of what is to come.

The company have lost their main actor and have employed TV star Rory Mulligan (played with sexy sophistication by Sean Biggerstaff) to save the day and take the role of Sergeant Howie, however all isn’t want it first seems, with director Callum Guthrie (Johnny McKnight) splicing up the show with musical numbers and broadway style choreography, throw in a mystery surrounding Artistic Director of the Loch Parry Players, Finlay Fothergill and things start to parallel the iconic movie…not the crap one starring Nicholas Cage.

Writers Greg Hemphill and Donald McLeary bring gag after gag with their fast paced, anarchic script which is tightly delivered in Vicky Featherstone’s deft direction, the set designed by Chloe Lamford hides many hilarious details including a poster of past Loch Parry production of Gary Glitter:Mad About The Boy.

Appointment with the Wicker Man is a massive crowd pleaser, with inventive staging, hilarious script and uniformly excellent cast, how can you not be won over by The Loch Parry Players?

Runs until 26th August

Source: The Public Reviews