BEHIND THE SCENES: BWW Meets Writer And Director Of MIDSUMMER David Greig

Think of a rom-com and what do you think of? Four Weddings And A Funeral, maybe? Sleepless In Seattle? Blatant plots? Cheesy lines?

Yet Midsummer, a play with songs currently running at the Soho Theatre, has the words "romantic comedy" proudly emblazoned across its promotional literature. Does David Greig, co-writer and director of the piece, feel there's a stigma attached to the phrase, or is it a rom-com, loud and proud?

He hesitates. "Really good romantic comedy is brilliant. But there are a lot of other romantic comedies that aren't. The phrase is a byword for a certain type of formula now, and Midsummer is a play that's fun and sassy - we want people to be surprised by it as we subvert the rom-com stereotypes."

Greig himself seems a little surprised to find himself at the helm of a light romantic piece. "My other works have been self-consciously political or about despair," he admits. "Doing a comedy is departure enough."

Which brings us to the other stereotype that Midsummer's trying to subvert - a show with songs. In other words, a musical? "It's not a musical," Greig corrects me. "There aren't enough songs in it. It's what a musical would be if they only had two actors, or if instead of an orchestra they only had two guitars."

The play's restrictions are half deliberate and half enforced by a limited budget. "We had no money," he confesses, "but we also wanted to do a kind of playful experiment with the format. We made a virtue of lack of cash and a tiny venue when we premiered the show at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh."

Greig and his collaborator Gordon McIntyre have made very few changes to the script since it left Edinburgh, toured Ireland, and arrived in London. "We found we didn't make to make too many tweaks. It's set in Edinburgh, yes, and we found people enjoyed that. There are two jokes that are Edinburgh-specific - one still got a laugh when we played outside the city, and the other one didn't, so we've just taken that one out!"

As a director, does Greig find it challenging to be dealing with his own work? "I really enjoy directing, but at the moment the hardest bit is working with me as a writer. I don't deliver on time, I don't deliver the things I said I would, and then I insist on changes," he laughs. "Another director would have been kinder to me. I'd sit and have a coffee, and the director-me would be saying in my head, 'Oh, having a coffee, are you? WHERE'S MY SCRIPT?' and the writer-me would be replying, 'I'll get it done! Leave me alone!' It's been enormous fun, though, and I now have increased respect and sympathy for the directors I work with the rest of the time."

Where next for Midsummer? "We'll take it as it comes. There was a lot of interest when we played the Edinburgh Festival, so perhaps we can travel some more. I'm happy that this little show has come this far."

Midsummer plays the Soho Theatre until February 6.

To post a comment, you must register and login.