one4review | On 08, Aug 2018

As soon as we enter the Anatomy Lecture Theatre at Summerhall we are enveloped in a warm blanket of nostalgia as we are faced with posters of saucy postcards, suitcases and seagulls calling. Ruth Cockburn greets her audience with a cheery Welcome to Blackpool and a sparkly Kiss Me Quick T-shirt as she starts proceedings with a cosy chat. As the hour progresses she ponders on the meaning of love, and her conflicting feelings about her hometown of Blackpool. To aid her musings Ruth uses her own family history, found love letters, recordings of Blackpool locals on what love means to them, fun facts about Blackpool interspersed with self-penned songs and poetry. Listening to previous generations’ courtship rituals did make me hanker for more innocent times away from the instant gratification of today
Ruth is an extremely talented performer and an engaging presence on stage. I could feel the audience warm to her from the moment they walked into the venue. Her songs are witty, sad and beautifully sung. I did feel that the piece could have had a tighter narrative and conclusion as I was desperate to find out more about Ernie (the letter writer) and his love for Margaret but we never find out their history which gave the piece a slightly unfinished feel. It seems churlish to make any complaint as the audience left the venue with a smile on their face and I look forward to seeing what direction Ruth’s career takes her – she’s a real talent.
Reviewed By Rona
2.40pm
Summerhall – Anatomy Lecture Theatre
Until August 26th (Not 15th and 20th)