What does it actually mean to be Scottish? That’s just one of the themes that Nat McCleary’s ‘Thrown’ is (literally) wrestling with. Directed by Johnny McKnight, the National Theatre of Scotland’s production follows five very different women as they learn the age-old sport of backhold wrestling and compete as a team in the Highland Games.
The cast bounds on stage in a manic routine of lifts, slams and crazed facial expressions. There’s the committed, Miss Trunchbull-esque coach, Pamela (Lesley Hart), with her tough, hard-to-crack exterior. There’s the brashly anti-English, working-class Chantelle (Chloe-Ann Tylor), who is trying her best to make it to viral fame. There’s Imogen, a Black woman who grew up in London and has recently returned to her birthplace to get back in touch with her Scottish roots. Then, there’s Chantelle’s best friend Jo (Adiza Shardow), a Gaelic speaker of mixed Jamaican and Scottish heritage. Finally, there’s Helen: a sweet, older lady, who joined the team to try something new and assert her independence (played excellently by Maureen Carr).
As the plot proceeds, we discover that each woman has their own, deep-buried trauma – be it gender dysmorphia, recently deceased relatives, or a controlling relationship. Different personalities clash and burn while new friendships blossom. Hateful comments are spat out, sweats are broken and tears are shed. Helen is always on hand to bring some light relief, for example when Chantelle and Imogen’s jealousy finally cracks and an explosive fight breaks out over the complex question of what constitutes privilege.
The wrestling acts as a subtle but powerful metaphor: the playing field is the leveller, as each player puts aside their polarising differences and, for a moment, accepts their vulnerability. There are a lot of complex intersections going on in this play, and as a result, it can feel like each character is only just skimming the surface of their potential as the story rolls on with a speed and frantic sort of tension. But using the traditional sport to ground some quite difficult politics is effective. This is a stunning, gripping play about the complexities of identity and place – and is performed with an urgency that has the audience hooked from the start.