In a new lunchtime musical at Òran Mór, Glasgow, performer Sian Silver, played by Liz Ewing, confronts her disappointments as her career in the fictional seaside town of Sunthorpe On Sea draws to a close. The 75-year-old singer, clad in excessive sequins, delivers music-hall numbers with a cheery smile and brassy confidence, but her act is hopelessly out of time.
Earning a meagre £250 a week, Sian is visited by the ghost of her younger self, played by Julia Murray, who embodies the positive energy and sparkle that Sian has lost. The younger self, in silver leotard and leg warmers, performs numbers like 'I Miss My Baby When He Goes Away' with genuine emotion, contrasting sharply with the older Sian's disturbing rendition of 'Tomorrow' from Annie.
Despite the sweet-and-sour banter, the backstage misery of a faded starlet is overly familiar territory. It is hard to sympathise with an entertainer whose delusions of stardom have left her bitter. The encounter with her younger self changes little, leaving the play's purpose unclear.
