Theatre Alba

Edinburgh Evening News
Monday, 26th November 2001

Story of a saint could be stuff of legends

Thenew Netherbow ****

The story is that of Tennoch, a Celtic princess who was niece of King Arthur and daughter of the less powerful King Lot, of the Gododdin tribe at Traprain Law in East Lothian.
As a princess, Tennoch was subject to the prevailing politics of the fifth century. She was sent off as a hostage to Arthur's court, where she caught Christianity with all the fervour of a young teenager - and swore to enter a convent.
Not, it must be said, a very astute move - as her pagan father had a rather more earthly husband in mind for her. When she was 14 he paid the ransom and betrothed her to the son of another Scottish king, in a flagrant attempt at empire building.
The play, by Margaret McSeveney, is the opening part of a longer programme of events at the Netherbow looking at the influence of Arthur on early Scottish history.
It's a powerful story, simply told in broad Scots. Newcomer
Kirstin Smith is particularly watchable as Tennoch.

As the play slowly unfolds, rather too slowly in the first half, Smith creates a convincing if not always likeable, character. Besides telling an important part of Scottish history - Tennoch was St Enoch, mother of St Mungo, the founder of
Glasgow - the play brings in ideas of spirituality and the role of women in power politics.

Some of it is a bit clunky in the way it is introduced, but there are enough strong actors in the cast to carry the plot forward. Ann Lannan and Eliza Langland are particularly good, but it is Kirstin Smith, who you look forward to seeing in further parts of this proposed trilogy.
...
Thom Dibdin
Evening News