Review: MEET JAN BLACK, Gaiety Theatre

Rehearsed, performed and filmed under strict COVID-19 safety regulations inside Ayr's Gaiety Theatre, Meet Jan Black is a new play written by Johnny McKnight and directed by Jack Nurse of Wonder Fools.

Jan Black (Maureen Beattie) leads the local amateur dramatics group at The Gaiety and she's desperate to get back into the swing of things after a year of theatre closures. Jan looks to the rest of the team to brainstorm ideas for their next production, debating whether to try something new or go for the reliable "plays written by old white men" that guarantee an audience.

Meet Jan Black is a celebration of Scotland's exciting amateur dramatics scene and takes the opportunity to showcase some of Ayrshire's new talent for its supporting cast. The other members of the group appear via video link as the production meeting takes place over a Zoom-like chat. While the script is peppered with McKnight's trademark wit and humour, the format doesn't quite offer the escapism most people normally look for in theatre. After a year of communicating with friends and family through screens, it is not really how you want to watch people interact.

Thankfully, things are not quite that simple. There's a lot more to Jan Black than initially meets the eye and what unfolds is the perfect example of what makes live theatre so brilliant. Maureen Beattie is a complete and utter joy to watch. I defy anybody to watch this production and not think "get me to live theatre, immediately". Director of Photography Josh Macfarlane has managed to capture something that sets itself apart from television- an area where so many other streamed performances fall a little bit flat.

One of the upsides to streamed theatre is that it has become a lot more accessible to audiences. Each show of Meet Jan Black is captioned, ticket prices range from £5 concession to £9 full-price and it can be watched in the comfort of your own home. Although I'm keen to get back into theatres in person myself, I hope there will continue to be options to make Wonderful Productions like this more accessible.

Meet Jan Black is a triumph for all involved and perfectly highlights our need for connection and shared experiences as both humans and as a theatre audience.

Meet Jan Black will be streamed live at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 3rd April.

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