Review: BATTERY PARK, The Gaiety, Ayr

Tommy (Chris Alexander) is sitting nursing a pint in his local bowling club in Greenock when a young woman called Lucy (Chloe-Ann Tylor) sits down and starts chatting to him. She's doing her dissertation on Britpop and she wants to know about his band, Battery Park. Initially, Tommy is reluctant to answer her questions but she piques his interest by producing merchandise from the band's heyday. 

Flashback 30 years and we have young Tommy (Stuart Edgar), his brother Ed (Tommy McGowan) and their mate Biffy (Charlie West). They're young and disillusioned, living in a bit of a dead-end town and working dead-end jobs. Tommy is a songwriter and a big fan of Britpop and the lads are offered a decent amount of money to play a gig together. Audience member Angie (also played by Chloe-Ann Tylor) speaks to Tommy afterwards and lets him know they have potential but he's not frontman material. She suggests they give Robyn (Kim Allan) a call and Battery Park is complete.

Written by Andy McGregor, this is a brilliant piece of gig theatre. The band have such potential and their initial success is impressive but it all comes crashing down. Battery Park is a show about family, friendship and missed opportunity. The gig element of the show is fantastic and high energy but the writing of the band dynamics is what really engages the audience. You very quickly begin to care about these characters.

Battery Park is a bold and exciting piece of theatre with a compelling story- not to be missed!

Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic

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