Verdict: Three stars.
What comes after death? It’s one of life’s mysteries but the cast of Still Game has put forward their theory in their Final Farewell stage show.
After almost two decades on our TV screens, Still Game creators Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan have returned to the stage where it all started for one last hurrah with Scottish audiences who have treasured loveable rogues Jack and Victor, and the weird and wonderful characters of Craiglang.
With just enough time to wipe away the tears from the last episode, the new stage show takes off from where the final series ended.
"We're deid," Ford Kiernan's Jack bluntly confirms to the audience in his dead-pan manner that creates instant laughs.
Acknowledging what the fans already feared, the audience is then transported into the familiar terrority of the Clansman pub where they meet a much older Boaby the Barman. Surrounded by the ghosts of Isa, Navid, Tam, Winston and of course Jack and Victor, we learn that in death the characters have not been able to move because they are without one of their 'party'.
Craiglang's very own grim reaper Ian Duncan Sheathing, played by Bruce Morton, bolsters the paranormal storyline as he reveals that the characters must wait on Boaby dying before they can pass on to heaven, or in some cases hell.
The plot then becomes complete fantasy as the cast camp it up with musical numbers, crude humour and the classic Scottish put-downs that made us love Still Game in the first place.
It works beautifully in some places with favourite Methadone Mick played by Scott Reid packing punchlines which left the audience in stitches. While a surprise appearance by a well-known Scottish comedian was a complete highlight and delighted the 10,000 Hydro crowd.
At points, however, some of the comedy had complete shock value, but the audience did not dwell on it too much with the fast pace one-liners distracting them with a constant stream of laughs.
Still Game has become a huge part of Scottish culture and will be a series that will be treasured for years to come.
The Hydro show is a farewell party for the fans, giving them an opportunity to relive the banter that made us love Jack and Victor who proved that you can be Still Game, dead or alive.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel