As their sell-out run comes to a close, the creatives involved in When We Were Young should certainly be able to sit back and soak in the accolades due to them as the people involved in putting on one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s best shows this year.
Set in 1990s Glasgow, When We Were Young focuses on a small group of teenagers – a ‘young team’ who are caught up in the so-called ‘postcode wars.’ While the city of Glasgow is not usually referred to as the ‘Murder Capital of Europe’ anymore, the issues of knife crime and the deaths of young people continue to play a significant role today. I am sure many young Scottish people such as myself can remember assemblies entreating us not to carry knives on the streets (though how effectively, I can only guess). This resonance is why this show hits so hard as a deeply local play about local tragedies, resounding throughout communities across the country.
The play is both funny and heartbreakingly tragic. The script is fast-paced and punchy, revelling in the Glaswegian accents and the way the characters prod and poke at one another, while also subtly revealing the extent of their care. The characters are all hilarious – familiar and comical without leaning into caricature. There is no moment where the show encourages the audience to laugh at the characters rather than with them, and in so doing lose touch with their empathy. Every actor involved in the performance is strong, their emotions raw and tangible, bringing each character to life. The two playing Chris and Tam are especially praiseworthy as performances liable to bring tears to the eyes of audience members as the show closes. I am not ashamed to admit that I was one such audience member.
The production supporting the actors is marvellous too. Though the stage is not large and the set sparse, it serves as a great background for a play set on a deprived street in Glasgow. There is a great deal of attention to detail – even liquid in the bottles the characters drink from – and all of this serves to further build up the reality the characters occupy, allowing the audience to become fully invested in their lives and dreams. In addition, the stagecraft is brilliantly done, visceral and bloody without leaning into cartoonish melodrama, vital for the play’s final few minutes to hit as hard as they do.
When We Were Young promotes empathy and understanding towards the communities that are most affected by knife crime. Geez A Break Productions are continuing to tour the show, including its full-length version later this year. Go and see it for the laughter and the glorious portrayal of the youthful belief in one’s own immortality – and stay for the tragic aftermath.
