Review: THROWN, Traverse Theatre

Thrown is a National Theatre of Scotland production written by Nat McCleary and directed by Johnny McKnight. It centres around a group of five slightly mismatched women coming together to form a team to compete in Backwoods Wrestling at the Highland Games.

Coached by Pamela (Lesley Hart) the team is compromised of best friends Chantelle (Chloe-Ann Tylor) and Jo (Adiza Shardow), Imogen (Efè Adwele) and Helen (Maureen Carr). Helen is a little older than the rest of the girls but she's keen to get stuck in and be part of something. All on the team have their reasons for joining the team and it unfolds that they are all wrestling with personal issues.

Chantelle is from a working-class background and is incredibly jealous of newcomer Imogen. Imogen is a black girl with an English accent and a strong sense of pride in her Scottish roots. Chantelle challenges why she identifies as Scottish but the answer "I was born here" doesn't quite seem to satisfy her. Jo is mixed race which is a part of her that Chantelle doesn't acknowledge aside from the cutesy nickname 'coco pop'. Born to a Jamaican mother who passed away when she was little and a father from the Highlands, Jo is a fluent Gaelic speaker who doesn't often see the other side of her heritage reflected back at her until she meets Imogen.

There are so many layers to Thrown. Each character is well-fleshed out and complex. Maureen Carr is superb as always, coming across as the sweet little old lady that just wants everyone to get along- but also takes no shit. She's also the glue holding the group together. The rivalry between Chantelle and Imogen is extremely well played out by Tylor and Adwele as both see the other as privileged in different ways.

Thrown is fun and high energy and Lucy Glassbrook's movement direction is exceptional. It's surprisingly emotional and manages to cover a lot of story in a reasonably short space of time. It's funny and touching and challenges the idea of what exactly Scottishness is. 

Thrown runs at the Traverse Theatre until 27 August

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