Review: River City favourites flake it and make it a night to remember

Heartfelt and hilarious new Scottish drama is a cracking wee gem.

SEAN AND DARO FLAKE IT ‘TIL THEY MAKE IT, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

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Loosing someone you love is all a part of growing up, albeit a painful one. Confusion, anger and helplessness all coalesce to form an all encompassing grief.

It’s certainly not a time to have the hare-brained schemes of an ice cream loving best pal like Daro thrust upon you. Or is it? Better ask Sean.

At The Traverse this week, Sean and Daro Flake It ‘Til They Make It, by Laurie Motherwell, is proving a cracking wee piece of new Scottish drama.

A 75-minute two-hander starring Sean Connor and Cameron Fulton, both in bold and brilliant form, it’s the story of estranged best pals rediscovering a friendship lost - Sean having abandoned his council roots when university beckoned.

Hurting at the desertion, Daro determines to reclaim his best mate and that tough love is the only way to do it, and so, on the day of his mother’s funeral, Sean finds himself manipulated into an ill-fated business venture that sees him transformed into one half of ice-cream entrepreneurs, the Whippy Bros.

Connor and Fulton share an easy chemistry as Sean and Daro respectively, one that allows Motherwell’s wickedly funny and deftly layered script to flow with a visceral life force born of despair and working class aspiration.

Gallus and ever optimistic, Fulton’s Daro drives the action, relentlessly goading Connor’s beautifully mournful Sean to work against his better instincts.

Set predominantly in a Glasgow brought to life on Karen Tennent’s ‘vantastic’ set, highlights include a show-stopping rave rendition of Do-Re-Mi, which has the audience clapping along, a hilarious encounter with the Edinburgh police at Murrayfield Stadium, and some crafty moments of audience interaction knowingly placed by director Robert Softly-Gayle, who elicits robust, truthful performances throughout.

As our working class heroes discover, friendships can be complicated things and their discovery is our delight; this is funny, thought provoking, homegrown theatre.

So, altogether now, ‘Doe a deer, a female deer…’ but remember, if you know what’s good for you, never ask for rum ‘n’ raisin flavoured ice cream.

Runs at The Traverse until Sunday 23 April, book here https://www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/sean-and-daro-flake-it-til-they-make-it