Glasgow, Citizens Theatre – until 20th June 2026
Reviewed by Marcus Richardson
5*****
There is a rich tapestry of history in the West-Coast of Scotland, and Glasgow in particular. A dynamic mix of labourers, gangs, and faith, told as stories with a signature style of humour. ‘The Long Drop’, written as a book by Denise Mina, is a perfect example of a dark tale, but trough a weegie lens. Adapted to stage by Linda McLean, this play feels hard to give a genre, which works well in its favour. It’s not quite a thriller, nor comedy, but somehow both at the same time. The story follows a real-life murder case in 1956 in Lanarkshire of members of the Watt family, as two men go drinking around pubs to figure out how to remove all the heat that has come from the murders.
The Artistic Director of the Citizens, Dominic Hill, breathes life into the already rich text, with a cast of seven performers, with some playing multiple roles. What really stands out is the ‘Scottishness’ of the play, not the overacted stereotype that would roll eyes, but in the way the characters speak and interact. The two central characters to this play are William Watt (Keith Fleming), and Peter Manuel (Brain Vernel). Vernel plays this unhinged character who at times feels more dramatic than the theatre, unsettling and equally ridiculous. His ability to switch between camp and sinister was fascinating to watch, it felt at times that two scenes that he was in could’ve come from two very different plays. My highlight for Vernel was in the second act towards the end, as he delivers a hysterical monologue that had me trying not to cry with laughter. I don’t know if Fleming balances this out, but he certainly does compliment it. Fleming works so well with the character of Watt; to create this lad-ish man whose selfishness brings around the murder of his wife and daughter. He takes his character to really low points, which reminds us that we are actually watching something really dark. The rest of the cast made up of Andy Clark, Martin Donaghy, George Drennan, Mary Gapinski, and Robert Jack, took on multiple roles throughout the play. I cannot stress enough how good each of them are, however Gapinski really stood out, the only woman in the cast, has some incredible moments in the show that ended up being small highlight moments, from being a foul-mouthed landlord, to a devout catholic mum. Jack also gave a really good performance as Dandy McKay, a notorious criminal, who’s larger than life persona really aided in the outstanding mix of humour and drama.
The Staging (Jen McGinley) and Lighting (Stuart Jenkins) of the play really help set the scene, whether it be a pub, or a courtroom. While these scenes felt deep and dynamic, we a reminded throughout that we are watching a performance on a stage, from the exposed back wall to lighting cues that highlight the horrors of the events in the play.
This was a fantastic piece of theatre, I am so glad I had the opportunity to be able to review it, so thank you to the Citizens Theatre for inviting me. My final note for this play, it that it is not shy, it’s raw explicit, and really taps into the dark nature of Glasgow’s criminal past. Extreme and graphic language is used, perfectly well I should point out, but it’s not something that makes this show suited for families with children. Well Done to the cast and crew of ‘The Long Drop’, it really makes me proud to live in Glasgow and have access to such stellar theatre.