Review of the Edinburgh Fringe 'A Play, A Pie And A Pint' show

Audiences at Edinburgh’s new Multistory outdoor venue can feast their eyes on one of Scotland’s great icons this Fringe. No, not the castle, which makes a dramatic backdrop to the stage, but comedy hero Chic Murray.

He died in this city in 1985, but you would swear he was still alive from Dave Anderson’s definitive portrayal of a comic whose whimsical, semi-surreal flights of fantasy and off-kilter one-liners hold up to this day.

‘Dead comic’ plays are a staple of fringe theatre, and A Funny Place For A Window offers the expected look at the sadness behind the laugher, but the writer and performers here pull it off with deft subtlety. 

Murray was everybody’s best chum, the life and soul of every social encounter. This affectionate production, first performed at Glasgow’s Oran Mor in 2018 and subsequently turned into a BBC Scotland TV show, shows how that need to be the centre of attention gradually slides a wedge between him and his wife Maidie.

It was she who made him. When they met, he was a shipyard apprentice performing in bands on the side, she was a seasoned musical performer in the variety halls. They teamed up personally and professionally, where they were billed as ‘The Tall Droll with the Small Doll’ after she encouraged him to incorporate jokes into their patter.

His career soon eclipsed hers, and she took a back seat as his manager and mother of his children. Maureen Carr’s nuanced portrayal has her slip in almost imperceptible increments from a sharp-mouthed worldly-wise theatrical dame to a still, silent figure, literally in the background. That the pair so clearly remain in love is quietly heartbreaking

This drama is only half the story, though, and like Murray’s life, A Funny Place For A Window is full of laughs as Anderson recreates many of the pioneer’s enduring quips, gentle double entendres and charmingly eccentric twists on everyday stories. Blasts of jaunty old-time show tunes enliven the piece too, usually with the musical aid of energetic third cast member Brian James O’Sullivan, who plays every other part needed.

Writer and director Stuart Hepburn has done great justice to Murray’s life and legacy in this tender and funny show. As well as offering nostalgia for the fans, it might also hope to introduce this groundbreaking comedy genius to a new generation, especially those from south of the border where Murray is undeservedly less well-remembered. 

• A Play, A Pie And A Pint – Chic Murray: A Funny Place For A Window is on at Multistory at 12.30pm on even dates until August 28.

Review date: 19 Aug 2021
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: MultiStory