Review: ORPHANS, Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow

On a dark and stormy night in Glasgow, the four Flynn siblings gather around their mother's coffin in the church. Her funeral is the following morning and the siblings have different ideas about how they should be spending their evening. Based on the cult hit film by Peter Mullen, Orphans is a National Theatre of Scotland production directed by Cora Bissett and with book by Douglas Maxwell and music and lyrics by Tommy Reilly and Roddy Hart.

Thomas (Robert Florence) is the eldest son and he declares he wants to spend the night in the church and stay with his mum until she's laid to rest. His younger brothers John (Dylan Wood) and Michael (Reuben Joseph) go drinking and land themselves in trouble and his sister Sheila (Amy Conachan) is a wheelchair user who is determined to not need help from her brothers. It's an incredibly strong cast that causes you to become invested in these characters very quickly.

Orphans is a very dark story but remains wickedly funny throughout. There's a lot going on with each sibling having their own storyline but the plot is woven together well. It's a musical about grief and reflects how people can be going through the same thing but have completely different emotions and reactions to it.

The music is incredibly catchy and the type to stick in your head. A cast recording has been released across streaming platforms and I've pretty much had it on repeat since leaving the theatre. It's extremely sweary but not in the novelty way that wears thin quickly.

Emily James' set design is a sight to behold. The musical moves rapidly between the church interior to big old Glasgow tenements and then transforms seamlessly into pubs. It's a stunning design that makes Orphans quite the spectacle.

Orphans is a big, bold production that is truly something to be proud of.

Orphans is on tour around Scotland.

Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic

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