NTS Keli Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh 15th May 2025 Review
Keli, a National Theatre Scotland/Lepus production is at Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh until Saturday 17th May, but if you miss this short run of shows there is still the opportunity to catch the show on its remaining Scottish tour dates –Dundee Rep (22-24 May), Perth Theatre (4-7 June) and Tramway, Glasgow (11-14 June).
Keli was originally commissioned as an audio drama by the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, and this production which has been developed with National Theatre of Scotland and The National Theatre, London's Generate programme deserves to find a far wider audience than this four venue Scottish tour as its story has the potential to resonate with many people at many different levels.
At first glance, Keli is a basic story of a musically gifted, but troubled, teenager from a fictional central belt former Scottish mining town who has found an escape from her troubles and her passion in life by playing tenor horn in the local brass band.
Underneath this basic story, however, is one of many different layers and great emotional depth and writer/composer/musician Martin Green has created a very special work here. Many people who have been a part of Scotland’s contemporary music scene over the years, performers and audiences, will recognise the name of Ivor Novello award winning musician Martin Green, and in particular his work with the band Lau, where he plays accordion. Keli also features a brass band score “Split The Air” written by Martin Greene.
Keli is in one way Martin Green’s personal love letter to the music of brass bands after he moved to an ex-mining village in southern Scotland. It was not just the music, however, that moved him, but also the stories of the people behind that music, both in the band and in the town. The miners’ strike of 1984/85 left lasting social and personal traumas on every mining town and in this work Martin Green uses the 40th anniversary of these events as an anchor point which forms a secondary but crucial narrative in Keli.
Having musicians performing live on stage can be a difficult balancing act as all too often they are forced into dramatic roles too, and this is usually not where their best skills are. In this production, it is good to see, and hear, for the most part that musicians are left to do what they do best – perform music - and the dramatic roles are left to people with those skills. It was good tonight to see and hear another very good Scottish musician/songwriter, Louis Abbott, on the Lyceum stage as part of the band – (drums and guitar). Many people reading this review (and possibly in audiences too) will also know Louis Abbott from his work with the band Admiral Fallow.
The title role of Keli is performed by Liberty Black, and it is one full of that restless energy and emotional conflict that you would expect this character to have. Keli has never had an easy life, and the current situation which sees her dealing with the demands of her mother’s fragile mental health state, attending college part-time, working in the local Scotmid store for some money, and playing in the brass band means that she is always on a very short temper fuse herself. This is an attention demanding performance by Liberty Black who is drawing upon some real life people and their experiences for what is surprisingly her professional stage debut. Here, Liberty Black understands the power of music and the transformative effect that it can have on people’s lives.
Much of the tension in this story comes from Keli’s relationship with her mother Jane (Karen Fishwick, who also plays other roles here) and band leader Brian (Phil McKee) and both give good performances which allow the troubled dynamics between Keli and them to work so well. This show does have a 14+ age guidance and a strong language warning. Often when used to no real purpose, this would put me off a show, but here it is part of the cultural landscape and more importantly part of Keli herself and how she presents herself to those around her.
This story starts almost at the end and is told to a stranger from the beginning, who we come to know is William Knox, and Billy Mack gives a fine character performance here. It is Willie who for the first time in her life gives Keli an understanding of just what coal and coming from a mining community means to her community. It is Willie who gives her an insight into the history of the social and economic inequality which are a part of mining and many working class people’s history.
All of this may seem a review of a very dark story, but Keli is far from that, it is full of humour. and Olivia Hemmati in the dual roles of Amy/Saskia gets a lot of the best comedy lines in this show and is obviously having fun with both of them.
Keli would not be what it is without a brass band and it is only right that, depending upon the venue, two real brass bands, Whitburn and Kingdom. perform live on stage too. For Edinburgh it is the Whitburn band.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artssreviewsedinburgh.com
Keli was originally commissioned as an audio drama by the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, and this production which has been developed with National Theatre of Scotland and The National Theatre, London's Generate programme deserves to find a far wider audience than this four venue Scottish tour as its story has the potential to resonate with many people at many different levels.
At first glance, Keli is a basic story of a musically gifted, but troubled, teenager from a fictional central belt former Scottish mining town who has found an escape from her troubles and her passion in life by playing tenor horn in the local brass band.
Underneath this basic story, however, is one of many different layers and great emotional depth and writer/composer/musician Martin Green has created a very special work here. Many people who have been a part of Scotland’s contemporary music scene over the years, performers and audiences, will recognise the name of Ivor Novello award winning musician Martin Green, and in particular his work with the band Lau, where he plays accordion. Keli also features a brass band score “Split The Air” written by Martin Greene.
Keli is in one way Martin Green’s personal love letter to the music of brass bands after he moved to an ex-mining village in southern Scotland. It was not just the music, however, that moved him, but also the stories of the people behind that music, both in the band and in the town. The miners’ strike of 1984/85 left lasting social and personal traumas on every mining town and in this work Martin Green uses the 40th anniversary of these events as an anchor point which forms a secondary but crucial narrative in Keli.
Having musicians performing live on stage can be a difficult balancing act as all too often they are forced into dramatic roles too, and this is usually not where their best skills are. In this production, it is good to see, and hear, for the most part that musicians are left to do what they do best – perform music - and the dramatic roles are left to people with those skills. It was good tonight to see and hear another very good Scottish musician/songwriter, Louis Abbott, on the Lyceum stage as part of the band – (drums and guitar). Many people reading this review (and possibly in audiences too) will also know Louis Abbott from his work with the band Admiral Fallow.
The title role of Keli is performed by Liberty Black, and it is one full of that restless energy and emotional conflict that you would expect this character to have. Keli has never had an easy life, and the current situation which sees her dealing with the demands of her mother’s fragile mental health state, attending college part-time, working in the local Scotmid store for some money, and playing in the brass band means that she is always on a very short temper fuse herself. This is an attention demanding performance by Liberty Black who is drawing upon some real life people and their experiences for what is surprisingly her professional stage debut. Here, Liberty Black understands the power of music and the transformative effect that it can have on people’s lives.
Much of the tension in this story comes from Keli’s relationship with her mother Jane (Karen Fishwick, who also plays other roles here) and band leader Brian (Phil McKee) and both give good performances which allow the troubled dynamics between Keli and them to work so well. This show does have a 14+ age guidance and a strong language warning. Often when used to no real purpose, this would put me off a show, but here it is part of the cultural landscape and more importantly part of Keli herself and how she presents herself to those around her.
This story starts almost at the end and is told to a stranger from the beginning, who we come to know is William Knox, and Billy Mack gives a fine character performance here. It is Willie who for the first time in her life gives Keli an understanding of just what coal and coming from a mining community means to her community. It is Willie who gives her an insight into the history of the social and economic inequality which are a part of mining and many working class people’s history.
All of this may seem a review of a very dark story, but Keli is far from that, it is full of humour. and Olivia Hemmati in the dual roles of Amy/Saskia gets a lot of the best comedy lines in this show and is obviously having fun with both of them.
Keli would not be what it is without a brass band and it is only right that, depending upon the venue, two real brass bands, Whitburn and Kingdom. perform live on stage too. For Edinburgh it is the Whitburn band.
Review by Tom King © 2025
www.artssreviewsedinburgh.com