Review: IRVINE WELSH'S PORNO, Kings Theatre Glasgow
Porno lives up to its opening line: sequels are never as good as the original.
Porno lives up to its opening line: sequels are never as good as the original. Edinburgh's infamous pack of misfits (Renton, Begbie, Sick Boy and Spud) reunite ten years after their appearances in the award-winning Trainspotting. They're all grown up, and surprisingly still alive.
So what's new in this controversial story? The answer is.... nothing really. The piece is less reliant on plot and more on long jokey monologue/duologue scenes. Renton is back after a long stint in Amsterdam to repair his relationship with Sick Boy, Begbie is navigating a newly-gentrified Leith after leaving jail, Spud tries to get an agency to publish his manuscript. Constable Knox is giving Sick Boy a hard time. Verbal dialogue is darkly witty (characteristic of Welsh's works) but weighed down by the humdrum plot.
The play's content also feels toned down - language isn't pretty, but it is missing the controversial shock factor that made Trainspotting so renowned. The in-yer-face element is missing, both in storyline and design. The set does its job but feels too simple - large (sometimes pixelated) image projections depict scene changes feeling a bit like a Powerpoint presentation. The stage has few set pieces feeling too empty, especially in a large theatre like the Kings.
The second half is a bit more interesting when Constable Knox's promiscuous daughter Lizzie enters the mix. The actors all do well and have funny moments, but overall the production misses the mark. It's a fun night out for die-hard Trainspotting fans eager to revisit their favourite characters, otherwise it leaves much to be desired.
Irvine Welsh's Porno was at the Kings' Theatre Glasgow until 11 May
Photo Credit: Irvine Welsh's Porno
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