Review: RESTLESS NATIVES, King's Theatre

Forty years after Restless Natives hit the big screen, it has been staged as a musical with songs from Big Country. 

Ronnie (Kyle Gardiner) and Will (Finlay McKillop) are two fed-up teenagers working in a local joke shop. They have the bright idea to rob a tourist coach using props from their work whilst wearing a clown and wolf mask. It goes a little too well and they embark on a career as Scottish highwaymen. 

While robbing the coaches, Will falls for Margot (Kirsty MacLaren) who also happens to be the local policeman (Alan McHugh)'s daughter. It's a slightly chaotic love story alongside this tale of friendship and capers.

It seems a strange complaint to have about a musical but there are far too many songs. There's original material by Tim Sutton with lyrics by Ninian Dunnett sitting alongside the Big Country songs but it feels like they're holding back the plot development. There are some terrific voices in the cast but its a little bit frustrating when yet another song starts up just when you thought we were getting somewhere.

Harry Ward takes on two very different roles, Will's mild-mannered father and raving maniac Nigel, Scotland's most wanted criminal. He plays both brilliantly and there's little time to shift between the two making it all the more impressive. 

There's a lot to like about Restless Natives, its a fun story with a brilliant cast. It does struggle to shift tone as it goes from heartfelt to silly a bit too rapidly and the songs also grow a bit tiresome but it is a great adaptation for fans of the film.

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