****

The Love Shop, written and directed by Lorraine McCann, is a joyful comedy. It becomes obvious that the humour is working when the audience are smiling and chuckling throughout.

The action takes place in a charity shop in a town somewhere in central Scotland back in 1967.Working in the shop there is Annie (Sara-Jane McGeachy), who is in her mid thirties and resigned to a spinster’s way of life, and the young Claire (Debbie Hannan), who has taken a fancy to the high born and somewhat effeminate Murdo (Gordon Craig). Into the shop come two of the town’s old biddies with an old tea pot. They wish to give this as a present to Annie because they claim it has mystical love inducing qualities and it will help her ‘find a man’.

The scene is then set for all manner of amusing situations when into the mix appear Jack (Michael Mills), a dishy Australian, and the local plumber (Craig McFarlane), a male chauvinist type. The humour builds as in all good farces. In the final scene the action is furious as romance blossoms and, certainly in one instance, in quite an unexpected way.

The cast work well together bringing out the humour in the script which draws on the Scottish ‘banter style’ of irony and mickey taking. A special mention is due to Wendy Brindle and Alison Armstrong for their hilarious cameo roles as the two old biddies.

The Love Shop is a little gem of comedy theatre based on traditional core values of being entertaining and giving enjoyment to the audience.

****

The Love Shop

Company:   BigVillage Theatre Company  

Venue: -   Augustine's  V 152

Dates: -  10 to 16 August 2009 

Times: -  19.15 to 20.00

Fringe Programme Page: -  p208