My immediate impression on seeing and hearing the performances in Resonate was one of disappointment. Not of the first-class acting, or of the stunning scripts but from the clear inhibitions of them being presented on such a tiny stage. This would’ve benefitted enormously from the heft and scale of a much larger platform. I would urge the company to pull out all the stops and get these wonderful plays on to a more substantial auditorium where they could abandon the inhibition and pressures of a tiny back room.
- James McPherson
I’ve seen two previous shows written by this company in Glasgow, which were The Fault Line about abuse and one with three short plays at Websters which included a super one Limbo about three people trapped in a lift on 9-11 and all were fantastic. But this new one which I saw on Saturday afternoon at the Fringe was just brilliant. I loved Ma Baby and the people around me were so moved too by the actress Laura Begley, it was hard to believe she was performing. Also the one about the loan shark called Shark was quite scary, again it was like looking in on a crime being committed by an evil brute – both actors were exceptional. I also thought Noel Franson as the Irish alcoholic was outstanding – it was a man deeply troubled, but with humour, pathos and as he himself says despair. Above all though I have to say that the writing of all the short plays was nothing short of amazing, they were all so different but each drew you in, just terrific. Congratulations to every one involved and I can’t wait for the next one from Studio Eye Screenstage.
- Marilyn Cowan
I was compelled to send in my thoughts on the Resonate group of short productions at the Fringe as it was a tremendous production. I much prefer minimalist sets and intimacy of performance to concentrate on the performance and this was just excellent. I felt the writing was quite exemplary and I pass on my congratulations to the writer/director Thom McKeown. I felt he should have been introduced at the end as it was clearly his project and he truly deserved some acclamation.
However, the cast throughout were uniformly outstanding with particular note for the work of Laura Begley in Ma Baby, Noel Franson in Destruere (again a quite wonderful script), the mesmerizing graphic menace of Henry Campbell and the victim Rachel Taylor in Shark, Gill McGowan’s gorgeous little piece That’s Love and my wife’s favourite of the whole production Andrew Martin and the exasperating wife marvellously played by Ellie Silver in A Fork etc.
- Jack Keunsberg
This was a gem of a production at Woodland Creatures which so many Fringegoers will have missed - and it’s their great loss. I understand that it’s costly to do a show in a big theatre space during the Fringe but this piece so deserved a longer run with a much bigger audience. In essence Resonate was little short of a masterclass in the craft of scriptwriting – I went through so many emotions in just over an hour. I was thrilled by and enjoyed the tremendous interplay from a quite brilliant Andrew Martin and a beautifully measured portrayal by Ellie Silver in ‘A Fork In A World Of Soup. I laughed, I related to the content and sensed that this was a woman frustrated and in need of an assertive display from her too-nice but flabbergasted husband. So entertaining. Then Rachel Taylor’s powerful monologue ‘Girl In 2017’ brought into sharp focus how contemporary issues and technology have dulled the senses of today’s teens-to-20s generation. ‘Ma Baby’ was utterly brilliant with a magical performance from Laura Begley as the Glasgow mother of a Down’s Syndrome daughter – with again, superlative writing. Noel Franson in ‘Destruere’ gave a bravura turn as an eloquent, regretful, despairing Irish alcoholic as he drank and delivered whimsy, fury and sorrow. This was a stunning piece of work – great acting with great writing – a potent mix. Then came my personal highlight short ‘Shark’. This was I am presuming the inspiration play for the collective title ‘Resonate’ – as the piece has stayed with me even as I write this – it horrified and moved me – but it impressed me to such a degree that I simply can’t get it out of my head. Absolutely spot-on performances from both Henry Campbell and Rachel Taylor (again) but such economy of credible dialogue powered to maximum impact level. Gill McGowan’s charming monologue on maintaining love between herself and her husband and on love itself ‘That’s Love’ was a gem of a treat. She is clearly an effortless talent, her presence, projection and immersion in the role was so pleasurable and sweet, I just loved it. Then we had the visual climax of an almost Disneyfied characterisation from Penni Webb in ‘Mercy’ as the embittered maturing actress who has gone beyond her sell-by date in the world of theatre. As with ‘Destruere’, a tremendous pairing of expert acting and exceptional writing – this was such a delight and the whole audience thrilled to her rendition.
- Ivan Eavis
I just wanted to email to say how much I enjoyed Resonate on Saturday afternoon. I don’t often get to see much theatre but this was wonderful. For such a small group of people to convey such emotions over those short plays was really really special. I just loved the opening play and having checked my programme please pass on my thanks to Andrew Martin and Ellie Silver for their astonishingly good acting, I enjoyed their play so very much. It was also very well written and it was just great. I also loved Ma Baby, it made me cry and feel angry that such a fine woman was so exhausted. Just great. Finally please say thank you to Penni Webb in Mercy, it was a treat, I thought she was quite brilliant.
- Julia Birtle
