The Syndicate
Written by Kay Mellor
Directed by Gaynor Faye
2 July 2024
⭐⭐
Kay Mellor's final play The Syndicate stars a host of TV soap favourites including Samantha Giles (Emmerdale) Brooke Vincent (Coronation Street) and Gaynor Faye, who also directs. Based on the successful TV series, The Syndicate is a comedy drama about a group of supermarket workers who win big on the lottery and change their lives.
Act I is set in a small supermarket in Yorkshire. The workers are all down on their luck in various ways but as is customary in Yorkshire, they are getting on with it and having a laugh anyway. The set is split in three: the central area is the open shop floor flanked either side by the staff locker room and the manager's office. The staff room transforms into a hospital room when needed, and the transitions are impressively swift and silent. It's a great design from Bretta Gerecke and works well as the cast weave between the 3 areas.
Kay Mellor's writing sparkles; there are frequent jokes and they land! Especially in the hands of store manager Bob (William Ilkley) who is superb in every scene.
More could be made of the scenes where The Syndicate win the lottery: with a larger budget there could've been more visual flourish, more fun to be had. I could see colourful balls being projected on the bare stage above the shop, or some kind of exciting lighting accent.
But when Kay (Gaynor Faye) arrives on the scene as the Lottery company representative, she radiates star quality; Faye lifts and brightens the entire stage by herself.
There was an odd sound issue in this act. All of the cast bar one could be heard clearly, but that one actor was almost shouting - it was as if they'd forgotten their mic. That can't possibly be the case, but whatever the reason, it was distracting and jarring.
During the interval the set is transformed from the shopfloor to one of the winners lavish homes. Again it looks great and is lit well. However Act II is not as successful as Act I. There are few laughs to be had and the storylines become rushed and trivial. The intent is clearly to demonstrate the odd behaviours that can befell jackpot winners and to tell a cautionary tale - which it does - but the book lacks drama and any true hilarity. The cast are great and do their best, but the natural dialogue and quips that made Act I so entertaining are absent in the second half unfortunately.
This is a short play with under 2 hours total run time. Had the quality and geniality of Act I continued, it would've been a strong 3 star show. But despite the good cast and lovely set, The Syndicate sadly falls short of Mellor's other works. There is so much potential and although not groundbreaking, it's still a pleasant night at the theatre. And if you are a fan of Gaynor Faye, Samantha Giles or Brooke Vincent from your favourite TV show, this is a great opportunity to see them perform live in a relatively intimate environment.
⭐⭐
📸 Production photo: Craig Sugden
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The Syndicate tour and tickets
The Syndicate is at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Tues 2 - Sat 6 July 2024
⌚ Running time: 2 hours incl. interval
📅 Other 2024 UK Tour dates for The Syndicate: https://www.syndicateplay.co.uk/book
🌈 Also playing in Glasgow this week at The King's Theatre: The Wizard of Oz, starring Craig Revel Horwood as The Wicked Witch of the West and Allan Stewart as the Wizard. It's fantastic!
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➡️ See what else is coming up at The Theatre Royal, Glasgow soon including Burlesque, Only fools and Horses the musical and Disney's Aladdin!
➡️ See what else is coming up at Glasgow King's Theatre soon including Jesus Christ Superstar, & Juliet, Come From Away and 101 Dalmatians.
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The Syndicate review, Glasgow, UK Tour, Kay Mellor, Gaynor Faye, Brooke Vincent, Samantha Giles, Theatre Royal.
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🎟️ Disclosure: I was invited to review this show and received a complimentary ticket in exchange. Neither the venue nor show has a say in what I write. I'm completely independent and invites have no impact on my analysis or star ratings.
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