Globalisation leaves us in a quandary. On the one hand, we’re drawn to the mass entertainment of the modern world: slick, exciting but also generic. On the other, we’re pulled back to a traditional culture that seems to give us definition even when it feels quaint, outmoded and possibly a bit made up.
That’s the case for Esmi, anyway, in Lisa Jên Brown’s exuberant two-hander for Dirty Protest theatre. Being a teenager in 1995, she loves nothing more than an illegal rave in the local Dorothea quarry, “spitting in the face of the Criminal Justice Act” as she goes. And being a gifted singer, she has an unbroken record of success at the National Eisteddfod.
Played by a sweet-voiced Mirain Haf Roberts, she wants to be taking ecstasy on the dancefloor while the old guard want to make her an honorary druid. It seems like an irreconcilable contradiction. That the Eisteddfod itself has added a rave to its otherwise conservative lineup only makes it worse.
But, after an ill-advised “double drop” of pills, Esmi comes to realise she can embrace the two identities: the dancefloor is just as much an expression of her culture as the Welsh-language ballad, and there’s nothing to stop her doing both.
That idea is embraced in Catherine Paskell’s gutsy production on the outdoor MultiStory stage, an unforgiving venue that would knock the stuffing out of many a play but is well suited to the amplified beats of the rave and the large-scale gathering of the Eisteddfod. With Brown herself taking on the supporting roles and original music by 9Bach, Double Drop is a lively celebration of youthful rebellion and community spirit, with an added festival kick.
• Double Drop is at MultiStory, Edinburgh, until 13 August. The Edinburgh festival fringe continues until 30 August.
