Passing Places Review

Everyone please excuse Brins if he doesn't appear for a while, but he has much work to do at the moment.

Yesterday, I typed up a great big review of a Scottish play, 'Passing Places' and what I viewed as its shortcomings; sadly, it didn't publish properly and now it's gone. I don't feel like repeating myself anymore, since it really was very long and exhausting to write, but if you've ever heard of/seen/read this play, then I'll just put this miniature review here that sums up the play in my eyes excellently:

(Bear in mind it's late when I write this, and I feel rather tired, so this review will liably lack a lot of force/sense of direction.

It had the potential to be great. Some (seemingly many, since it's renowned as 'the best Scottish comedy play in 10 years') view it to be already, though it boggles my mind as to why. The play in itself may seem alright to the viewer (particularly Binks' scenes can be hilarious when done properly). However, it should have been more. When considering it in a larger context, you realise the entire driving concept is complete nonsense; two youths from Motherwell stole a prized surfboard from their psychotic boss, Binks. Rather than get killed by him, they decide to flee to Thurso in the far north of Scotland to ditch the board. That IS the whole plot. Everything else that happens is somewhat unrelated to this driving force.

Certainly, the audience may well be moved by Alex's frustrations at not fitting in and being viewed as an idiot by his insanely intellectual friend Brian and an outsider by everyone else [I choose to concentrate on Alex as the developed character in this section]. It may be very endearing watching him grow and come of age as a character. But when you start to wonder exactly why he feels like this (bearing in mind the entire point of his escapade is simply to take a surfboard to northern Scotland), or indeed how he develops these concerns in such a short space of time, it flops. This is, I think, really because the play is ruined mainly (perhaps only) on the sheer weakness of the initial concept and basic plot - the only reason these two youths aren't still in Motherwell is that they have to sell off a surfboard.
The way I see it, it doesn't matter how incredible the themes and emotions communicated are in a play, or what the plot developments are, or anything, if they aren't consistant with the plot. That is exactly why Passing Places does not achieve the approval from me it deserves. The boys hardly stop to take into account the reason for their journey; they just continue their journey. No past-references to working for Binks. No points of self-doubt as to why they're going to all this effort for the surfboard. All the things that happen to the characters on the journey and the feelings they harbor are in no way consistent with the plot or its concept; it's as if the script-writer (Stephen Greenhorn) just wanted an excuse to get the youths in a car and heading for Thurso. Greenhorn could have used the plot and made the play work by giving Alex actual reasons to become emotional, show insecurity and feel isolated, but he exhibits all this behaviour very suddenly and inexplicably. If he felt overshadowed by Brian, surely he would have felt so at the beginning of the play.

It's for this reason that, while Passing Places might be an enjoyable and slightly emotional play to watch, it really buckles heavily when put under a critical eye. After studying texts in Higher English for a year, I can say that this play is rather inconsistent with itself.

Really, my qualms are with the script-writer than anything else; he is renowned as a great Scottish play-write, but I feel that he has a fundamental lack of understanding of how to write a truly good play (not that I do, of course, nor that he absolutely does - it's my opinion - but this is how I see it). He can certainly write a decent - even good - play for viewing, but I can't get to terms with him being spoken of as a master of the art, because frankly, he really isn't if you ask me. Passing Places is a play which, to me, begins with a concept and then never develops said concept or indeed develops characters/events with said concept. The boys steal the surfboard and run, after which the play gets lost in a fog, only to come back out right at the end when Binks corners everyone.

I have one thing left to say: I think Greenhorn also made another fundamental error in the play, which made it lose a lot of potential to develop itself in a manner more similar to that I would have wanted for it. The one change I would make to this play if given the chance is to have never introduced Diesel. I'll let you make your own conclusions as to why.

This review lacks much of what the original had, particularly in conciseness. I feel now as if I've just gone over one element of the play whereas before I covered a lot of it. I also feel I've been a bit harsh on Stephen Greenhorn; his play is not rubbish, it's passable as a play to watch, not to analyse. I'll leave the review regardless, because hopefully I'll get some completely contrary points of view from Greenhorn fans. Whatever your stance, please post your comments on the post and I'll be sure to respond. Thanks.  ¶ 9:20 pm