Bertolt Brecht, wily old dialectician that he was, famously generated theatrical atmosphere by means of hard-headed, unsentimental aesthetics. Any director who attempts to deviate from that "epic theatre" model is asking for trouble. James Brining's Tag theatre company production of The Good Woman of Setzuan too readily accepts the treacherous invitation to naturalism that lies hidden in the play.
There is a certain detachment required in the telling of the tale of the eponymous decent soul, the prostitute Shen Te. As the only person in Setzuan good enough to offer shelter to the travelling gods, she finds herself in receipt of heavenly financial assistance. But she soon discovers that she needs the services of a cold-hearted alter ego, her "cousin" Shui Ta, if her charity is not to lead her back into poverty.
With its debunking of simple "good versus evil" polarities, the drama cries out for a performance in George Bush's Oval Office. However, one would want to send the president a sharper presentation than this one.
Brecht and his musical collaborator, Kurt Weill, were not men to opt for Spielbergian emotional manipulation. Tag's musical director, David Young, clearly is. The acoustic score that greets us at every set change tugs predictably at the heartstrings.
The performances, too, show some signs of Brining's unwillingness to go the whole Brechtian hog. Although the acting is often suitably dispassionate - Callum Cuthbertson's fine playing of the gods' messenger, for example - it strays into unnecessary histrionics. Where Molly Innes's strong performance as Shen Te/Shui Ta is unconvincing, one suspects a lack of directorial boldness rather than any shortcomings on her part.
Yet, despite its lack of cohesion, the production has some well-observed moments. The scene in which a prostitute takes a client up a dark alley, only to pass her money directly on to a pimp, is pure visual Brecht. The no-nonsense set changes are similarly appropriate. Such elements render the piece worthwhile, but never entirely satisfying.
· Until Saturday. Box office: 0141-494 0022. Then touring.
