Words: Trudy Lynn 

4 Stars 

A ceilidh is taking place before we take our seats. It’s somewhat disorientating and parallels the young Korean missionary’s culture shock when he arrives in a pub in Glasgow in 1918. The play then dips in and out of various time periods between Glasgow and South Korea, telling an intergenerational love story across continents. It’s a beautiful story of love, loss, longing and music told through bilingual theatre (with surtitles in both languages), songs and dance.  

Wonder Fools and Theatre SAN have created something rather special and poetic in their desire to showcase cultural exchange. The ceilidh band, when not playing the Gay Gordon for the audience and actors to dance to, create a superb soundscape augmenting the drama on stage. The Glaswegian pub where much of it is set invites the audience to learn the Korean ganggangsualle. A participatory bilingual dance and theatre show could be trying to do too much but, except for a disorientating beginning, it’s all seamless as it skips between timelines and characters.  

Tether touches upon war, dementia, memory, loss and oppression but still manages to entertain and warm as it pulls on the heartstrings. The PTSD analogy augments the piece and make it feel real without casting too much of a shadow and making a party bleak. The whole piece is well crafted, well balanced and well done. 

Tether
Main Hall at Summerhall 
16:30 
6 August – 31 August (not 11; 18; 25)