SPENDING FRANK
Alastair Hewitt ended up writing a fairly landmark play in our history through the vast up and downs of Scottish theatre, though much against his intentions. While touring Spending Frank, we discovered that the Scottish Arts Council had decided to cancel our regular funding. Several theatre companies lost their own funding in the government organisations large overhaul and re-shifting of focus, a move that our producer Eddie Jackson said would "create a wasteland outside the main cities in diversity of drama provision".
"I’d assumed that arts councils were given public money to help ensure the public received the chance to experience high-quality work, especially such as could not be financially self-sustaining, either in itself or in the places it visited (for example, a huge-cast classic might never attract enough ticket money; a smaller play might in one theatre, but become uneconomic with all the costs of an extensive tour added on). But no; the idea of public money being used to provide a service to the public is seemingly too “audience focused”. Might the concept spread? Could doctors and nurses find health funding withdrawn for being too “patient focused” if they actually treat people? Should the sewage system be disconnected from homes and offices as too “public focused”?" - Timothy Ramsden
Making his return to Borderline after performing in Li Lochhead's Shanghaied in 1988, Spending Frank was directed by Tony Cownie - Associate Director at Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum Theatre and currently performing in the The Citizens Theatre's tremendous The Libertine.
Anna's body clock is on fast-forward and she is desperate for true love and a baby. She's managed to find the former but when the patter of tiny feet doesn't materialise due to circumstances beyond her control she exacts revenge on her husband. In addition to "dealing" with husband Frank, Anna has to cope with yuppie estate agent Victoria, sex- mad Margaret, Bobby the hilarious bereavement counsellor and a host of other characters that cross her path. As Anna tries to get what she wants she swings from frenetic comedienne to emotional wreck.
"...a girls night out show just the ticket for relaxing after a hard day's work." - Joy Watters, Dundee Courier
"Borderline will have you in stitches...will have audiences everywhere in tears of sympathy and laughter." - The Scotsman
"Director Tony Cownie’s as good as anyone knowing his work would expect with the early comedy but he’s as keen with the later, darker scenes, up to the deserted stage at Hewitt’s deliberately indeterminate conclusion." - Reviews Gate
"Alistair Hewitt's deft three-handed comedy about a woman's failed quest for motherhood, now given its first Scottish tour by Borderline Theatre, is that it recognises some bleak truth, and refuses the classic happy ending" - Joyce McMillan
"What starts of as a laugh-out-loud comedy poking fun at life and death in the first half, ends as a thought provoking dark comedy in the second" - Edinburgh Guide
"...witty and entertaining" - Mark Fisher
We toured this production:
10 (Preview) - 11 Mar - Paisley Arts Centre 14 - 18 Mar - Glasgow Citizens Theatre 21 Mar - Inverness Spectrum Theatre 22 Mar - Fortrose Academy 23 - 24 Mar - Livingstone Howden Park Centre 25 Mar - Kilmarnock Palace Theatre 28 - 29 Mar - Musselburgh Brunton Theatre 30 Mar - Hamilton Town House 31 Mar - 1 Apr - Cumbernauld Theatre 3 Apr - Motherwell Civic Theatre 4 Apr - Ayr Gaiety Theatre 5 Apr - Largs Barrfields 6 Apr - Peebles Eastgate Theatre 7 Apr - Dunfermline Carnegie Hall 8 Apr - Greenock Arts Guild Theatre 11 - 15 Apr - Dundee Rep Theatre 18 - 22 Apr - Perth Theatre
Anna - Julie Austin Margaret - Angela Darcy Frank - Barrie Hunter Director - Tony Cownie Designer - Becky Minto Lighting - Mike Lancaster