REVIEW: A Giant on the Bridge, Cottiers Theatre 2026 ★★★★★

In blurring myth and modern reality, art often finds itself contorting one or both to extract truth. That cannot be said about A Giant on the Bridge, a monumental achievement in gig theatre that adds personal, heart-wrenching truths and tender, light moments of emotive nourishment into the mix effortlessly. Exploring the homecoming journey from prison in Scotland (though the piece would comfortably sit in many different cultures) against the backdrop of childhood, fable, the creative process, justice, addiction and morality, it is an affecting and impressive eighty minute kaleidoscope.

The piece was developed in collaboration with the work of the Distant Voices Community, which seeks to explore crime, punishment, and reintegration through songwriting, and engaged with those involved in that aforementioned homecoming journey to create the songs that make up the central thread of the narrative. Performed by an eclectic group of artists who stand in for various figures inspired by those who wrote the songs – from the story of a prisoner on the inside, his family, a songwriting teacher and a performance poet – all to whom it quickly becomes clear their lives are converging, and to whom their experiences and decisions all reflect back onto one another.

At its rising crescendo, the plot delves into what it means to be tied to a place and to people in the context of the justice system – to whom we owe debts both moral and literal, and how it can feel that it takes a village to see through a reintegration that wholly recognises and attempts to settle those debts.

Through the eyes of a young girl watching her father return home, and her aunt who has been bound to a duty of care for her, we see the multitudes of burden and captivity that emerge for all sides in a prison sentence. This is done gently, and verbatim, through the lyrics and mood of the song, that never hesitate for a moment on the complexity and depth they explore, but instead are seen through with a powerful blend of pathos and playfulness.

The motif of the bridge is manifold – the bridge in a song soon becoming a metaphor for the segues we all have to navigate in life, and in the context of imprisonment, and latterly release. The theming of the entire piece is gorgeously well-realised, set in an atmosphere that at times often feels oddly relaxing, yet as we jet from that calmness into a meticulous rap section from Dr Dave Hook, the material is carried sensitively, each performer quite aware of the delicate nature of its provenance and telling the stories of those intimately involved, including some on stage who worked on the piece’s outreach and development.

As a multi-instrumentalist ensemble, the stage is littered with a treasure trove of instruments, some of which are drawn on sparingly to create succinct moments and repeated musical motifs that are vivid and compelling. All of the vocals are spotless, with little moments created between the ensemble as they drift in and out of character giving the show an overwhelming sense of charm. Co-devisors singer-songwriter Jo Mango and theatre-maker Liam Hurley have allowed the art of others to be thrust centre-stage, in an environment that feels like it affords just as much weight to the inherent emotive centre as it does the playful spirit.

It’s rare that an audience is not itching to leave the theatre after eighty minutes sat in one place, though I found myself thinking I could quite happily have spent more time in the crafted, fascinating and revealing world that this show creates. It seeks to reflect, not preach, and explore the dynamics between people undergoing a life-changing process with care, precision, and a moving sense of creativity and avowal connecting unflinchingly.

Burdens are no simple beast, and the ensemble ask us to read in between the lines of others’ lives involved in the prison homecoming, lines that those people have written themselves.

Recommended Drink: Pair this with a cocktail inspired by a Tunnock’s Tea Cake – a soft shell hiding something effervescent and delicate.

You can catch A Giant on the Bridge on a tour of Scottish venues until the 21st March. The piece will next be performed at The Macphail Centre in Inverness on Monday 2nd March from 19:30 (80mins).