Somersaults

Synopsis

Am I sad that my language is dying? Yes I am. I feel the edges of the light move in and wonder if one day there will only be me... Questions of identity, belonging and a sense of self are universal, no matter what language you speak. Cambridge graduate James has it all: wealth, a beautiful wife, a swanky London flat. But when the creditors move in and his wife moves out, James suddenly finds he's left with nothing. Nothing but words, and even they are starting to slip away. James' father is dying - his last connection to his childhood, his upbringing and the language of his birth, Gaelic. With this link gone, James fears he will simply cease to exist. Forced to confront his past and the conflict of identity within him, James explores the importance of language and how it defines who we are.

Our Review:

4 January 2013

Finborough Theatre’s Somersaults opens this week with the notable absence of the fantastic wine bar nestled below the space. Making the short hop to the nearby newsagents for a drink is a minor annoyance however, especially with the prospect of a new play dealing with the politics of dwindling languages.

I learned Irish from a very young age and through lack of use I have lost most practical knowledge of it and have often lamented this loss. Iain Finlay Macleod’s text, an attempt at a fresh look at the viability of Scottish Gaelic appeals therefore, especially as the subject has been so sensitively and brilliantly dealt with by the likes of Brian Friel in his Translations. Macleod is no Friel and there are issues with how language is presented but high quality acting and sincerity from the cast make this a decent performance and an accomplished start to the new year for director Russell Bolam and the Finborough.

As James loses ...

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