Review: HIGH MAN PEN MEANDER, Tron Theatre

High Man Pen Meander is a theatre piece devised and directed by the Tron Theatre's Artistic Director Andy Arnold. The title is taken from a poem by Edwin Morgan and each performance in the production is based on Morgan's poems.

Andy Arnold is your guide for the evening and he greets you at a side entrance to the building which gives you the idea from the offset that you're not here for a typical performance. Leading you through the darkened theatre with a lantern and around the twists and turns of the corridor and stairwell, you'll stumble upon performers throughout the building.

The variety in the performers reflects the nature of the Tron Theatre's programming. The work of Edwin Morgan is performed through poetry, music, performance piece and drag. While the lights may be out at the theatre, the performers are quietly rehearsing in every nook and cranny of the building.

The quality of this digital performance is particularly impressive and videographer Daryl Cockburn has done such a beautiful job of capturing the venue in its darkened state. While empty buildings can often be seen as creepy and the Tron certainly has its history of ghost stories, the sense you get from this film is a peaceful one.

The Tron is one of my favourite theatres and it was such a treat to see the inside of it again. Arnold also opened the theatre at The Arches and this piece gave me such a wave of nostalgia for the much-missed venue as it feels very much like the work you would see there.

High Man Pen Meander is a haunting and surprisingly hopeful look around a theatre that is patiently waiting to open its doors again.

High Man Pen Meander is available to view on demand until 13 December with donation options.

Photo credit: Ruth Darling

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