The Big Arts company jogs briskly through this two-handed adaptation of Alan Sillitoe's novel in 45 minutes. The show leaps between Colin's repetitive musings as he trains, his memories of the events that landed him in Borstal, and the present, when he deliberately blows his big race to embarrass his governor. Paul Brennen relishes the words of his own adaptation and manages to convey the rhythms of the run without so much as shifting his weight on the stage; Ian Michie as full supporting cast is attentive and disciplined, though his governor is perhaps too easy a caricature. The piece is deftly written and performed but the episodes do not hang well together.
Written for The Independent.
Copyright © Ian Shuttleworth; all rights reserved.
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