Jake Mace
Content Warning: Discussion of Suicide
Along the windswept beaches of the Tay, a man gathers himself to remember his recently passed son. Through a series of rituals and reminiscing we see Des try to come to terms with what led to his child’s suicide, and how to collect a new sense of self that comes along with grieving and trying to rebuild his life. Through a series of vignettes, Scott Duncan’s solo performance debut unpacks weighty themes about grief, memory, addiction and recovery.
For much of the piece we don’t even hear Des speak, instead we are taken on a physical-led journey by Duncan, seeing him unpack boxes containing important objects from his child, Jamie’s, life. These objects bring memories to the surface – the first school play, Jamie’s mother passing away, and eventually, the discovery of a diary written in what would become his last years that gives way to uncomfortable truths for Des surrounding Jamie’s mental health. Set in Duncan’s home city of Dundee, the piece uses the River Tay as a reflection, with Des noting that it’s always staring back at us wherever we are in the city.
We see Jamie’s mental wellbeing and health reflected back onto Des’, who finds the courage eventually to go to a support group for his grief – but when it’s his turn to speak, what will he say? What can you even say?
Duncan takes on an almighty challenge in exploring not just one, but two men’s mental health journeys across Tay View‘s hour run time. While Jamie’s story ends in tragedy, Duncan seeks to give voice to the often unspoken difficulties of men’s mental health, and Des’ recovery story offers genuine hope and will likely resonate with many who have had grief in their lives. Duncan is using the show’s first ever run at Dundee Fringe to raise money for Andy’s Man Club, a charity that supports men’s mental health through peer-to-peer support groups.
As a debut performance, Duncan offers candour and introspection in his portrayal of Des. The physical-led vignettes are at points charming, at others intriguing, and throughout delivered with a sense of purpose. Duncan aims to connect us with the day-to-day life of someone in the throes of suffering severely, drawing out how ritual and routine can offer both respite and crushing weight in the processes of grief. As Duncan responds to audio voiceovers and non-diegetic music that traces Des’ battles with alcoholism, and eventual solace that he finds in returning to the spot where Jamie took his own life. It’s a story that asks us to reframe the things that we fear define us, and to find power and strength within them.
I would have liked to see the format developed further – there are points where the repeated vignettes provide such a loose structure that we fall out of the story a little. Moments seeing Des at the support group open up the piece’s deepest wounds, and it is truly not until the play’s third act that we see him open up. This is both a credit and a stumbling block for the narrative, as while we don’t find time to build a connection to Des until far too late in the story, we also trace a realistic understanding of a recovery journey – we watch Des open up to us slowly, starting with the physical and then the verbal. With a little workshopping and development, this could be a powerfully deployed theatrical device, it feels as though there is more narrative unpacking to be done.
With stronger direction, will come stronger impact, though what Duncan has set out to do already in the launch of his theatrical venture the_zoloft_project is admirable and resonant.
Tay View presents an image of men’s mental health struggle and recovery that is candid, powerful and intriguing.
You can catch Tay View one last time as part of Dundee Fringe today at Sweet @ Keiller Centre from 17:20 (60mins). Tickets are available through the Dundee Fringe Online Box Office.
Image Credit: Emily Powell
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
