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Irvine Welsh's Porno 4**** - One4Review

Irvine Welsh’s Porno 4****

| On 09, Aug 2022

Fans that are familiar with Irvine Welsh’s work are in for a treat as Begbie launches into a snarling monologue – he’s being released from prison. And that spells trouble for Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson, Daniel “Spud” Murphy and Mark “Rent Boy” Renton.

So will Porno guarantee everyone a Happy Ending?

The story is a sequel to Walsh’s cult novel (and then movie) Trainspotting. Years after Renton’s sharp exit to Holland with their ill gotten gains he’s back in town as his mother is dying. Renton catches up with Spud in a poignant moment at Tommy’s grave. Spud is angry, angry at Renton for leaving him behind and doomed to spend his share of the loot on smack. Poor shambling Spud hasn’t changed, still dossing about but swinging between eternal optimism and wretched acceptance. His aspiration – to take his son to Disneyland. Sick Boy? He’s (land)lording it up at his Aunty’s pub in Leith – The Sunshine Tavern by his own admission a “pish stained pub”- still waiting for that big break to come along. Still very much the wideo this character swaggers about with the arrogance that we know and secretly love. The actor captures the arrogance of Sick Boy to a tee – and there are even some Jonny Lee Miller intonations in his speech which capture the character perfectly.

But Begbie steals the show, full of impotent rage and hell bent on his revenge on “that thieving Ginger c*nt” (Renton) he navigates his way through the gentrified version of Leith all coffee shops and hipsters. This New Leith is not the one he remembers.

Ever the opportunist Sick Boy sees his big break coming under the guise of filming adult movies in the upstairs room of his Aunty’s pub. Strong armed into allowing an amateur dramatic group headed by the local Polis, Simon sees pound signs realising that their lighting rig and costumes could be used for slightly more risqué productions than the planned rendition of Sister Act! “Fister Act!” Renton muses…

The production in this play is excellent. Audiences of previous immersive versions of Trainspotting should be aware that this production is static – no surprise splatters (if you’re familiar with THAT sheet scene in Trainspotting you’ll know what I mean) But – it works. The characters fill the stage and own it. They pull you into their stories whether you like it or not. Poor decisions in Trainspotting were attributed to lifestyle choices, the Junkie Life. Wheeling, dealing and stealing to get the next fix. Porno shows us that ultimately our characters revert to type – the drugs were a mask for them, dragging them down. Without the smack, they revert to type. Choose life? Choose middle life – because this is where our gadgies are now.

If you’re not familiar with Leith dialogue you might struggle to follow the lingo – Spud is especially Pure Leith and Begbie’s dialogue is colourful to say the very least. If you’re offended by bad language this is not the show for you, if there was a c*ntometer it would be off the scale!

I thoroughly enjoyed this performance, the only way it would be better would be if the sound bleeding from adjoining venues was to be rectified, and I think if it was a full house that the sound might struggle to carry to the back of the hall.

Will be recommending this to all the cats doon Leith, likesay its barry.

****

Reviewed by Lyndsey

Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Beyond

16.50 (1hr 10)

Until Aug 28th (Not 15th or 22nd)

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