My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

Review: THE BROWN DOLL, Òran Mór

The Brown Doll runs at Oran Mor until 3 May

By:
Review: THE BROWN DOLL, Òran Mór

Review: THE BROWN DOLL, Òran Mór Image

The Brown Doll is the debut play from actress Cilla Silvia and it is directed by Niloo-Far Khan. 

Based on the writer's own experience of adoption, The Brown Doll is a drama about the exploitative adoption trade in Sri Lanka in the 1980s and one woman's determination to find out where she comes from. 

A young girl (Mehren Yar) sits chatting with her mother Anna (Rachel Ogilvy) and asks her about her family history. Frustrated with the conversation, Anna tells her daughter about her own parents and her traditional upbringing in a house just along the road. Her daughter doesn't have the same information to hand as she was adopted by Anna from Sri Lanka and doesn't know anything about her birth family. She was brought up in Sweden and became all too aware that nobody else in their family looked like her but Anna was able to obtain a doll with darker skin for her. 

The young woman goes on a journey to find out about her birth mother and the circumstances which led to her adoption. It's an interesting story that is fairly shocking in places but for a fifty-minute play it feels there's quite a bit of padding in the script. The four-strong cast work well together and do a good job of telling this story. 

Photo credit: Eoin Carey



Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Featured Performer in a Play - Top 3
1. Laurie Metcalf - Death of a Salesman
8% of votes
2. Danny Burstein - Marjorie Prime
5.4% of votes
3. Ben Ahlers - Death of a Salesman
5.2% of votes

Don't Miss a Scotland News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...


Videos


Big Stuff in Scotland Big Stuff
Assembly (Roxy Boxy) (5/05-5/30)
Chris Grace: 88% in Scotland Chris Grace: 88%
Assembly George Square Studios - Five (8/05-8/31)
Mark Thomas: 40 In Stand Up Years in Scotland Mark Thomas: 40 In Stand Up Years
The Stand 1 (8/05-8/30)
Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert in Scotland Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert
Usher Hall (12/03-12/03)
The Steamie in Scotland The Steamie
Alhambra Theatre (10/29-10/31)
Felicity Ward: I Wish I Could Come Out Of My Shell in Scotland Felicity Ward: I Wish I Could Come Out Of My Shell
Cab Vol 1 @ Monkey Barrell (8/17-8/30)
Father, Away She Goes in Scotland Father, Away She Goes
Zoo (Playground 1) (8/07-8/30)
Concerts of the Future in Scotland Concerts of the Future
Summerhall (Lobby) (8/06-8/30)
Copycat in Scotland Copycat
Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome) (8/05-8/31)
Friendliest in Scotland Friendliest
Gilded Balloon (The Nook) (8/08-8/31)