Wonder Fools ‘The Events’ at Tron Theatre, Glasgow Review
Written by Kathryn for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Stacks of chairs surround the stage as the audience are welcomed to the auditorium by Claire, played by Claire Lamont, and members of the community choir who offer round tea and coffee while they work through a couple of warm-up songs. The audience is encouraged to take part, joining in a rousing rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In”. This is a safe space. The Boy enters. He is welcome too. Everyone is welcome. But things are about to change.
David Grieg’s The Events was written in the aftermath of Anders Breivik’s massacre of eight people in a van in Oslo, then 69 more at a youth camp on Utoya island, in 2011. Our story follows Claire, a priest and community choir leader who survives a mass shooting in her church and embarks on a search for answers. Why did he do it? Why her choir? Why is she still alive when so many of her community are not?
Claire Lamont is fantastic as Claire. When we first meet her, she is full of energy, joy and has a real passion for her community. She begins to unravel as her search takes her further and further into disarray. Sam Stopford plays the nameless shooter and all other characters Claire interacts with in her journey - her partner Catriona, a journalist, a therapist, and a right-wing politician. It’s almost as if The Boy is haunting her in every aspect of her life.
Each performance of The Events is supported by a local community choir. For this production, each choir on the tour stop has been specially formed for this purpose, with singers answering an open call to take part. I loved the choir and how they were woven into the story. Their presence and involvement made the production very engaging.
Considering The Events originally premiered in 2013, it’s still very topical today. Although mass shootings are, fortunately, not something we really have to worry about in the UK, it’s a very real threat in many places across the world. Many of the themes raised throughout the production are prevalent in 2026 – racism, islamophobia, the fear of people who are different, who don’t belong to what we see as our “tribe”.
After the show, members of the creative team held a Q&A and it was really interesting to get a deeper insight into the creative process. I was quite disappointed to see around two thirds of the audience leave ahead of this as the show itself is quite short at 90 minutes, so I would encourage anyone to stick around if you’re at a date that offers a post-show discussion.
The Events is a captivating and thought-provoking piece of theatre which continues to resonate in society today. The story is not about the events themselves, but how we as a community respond and react in difficult and challenging circumstances. It leaves us with many unanswerable questions. How do we deal with the rise in extremism? Is there a solution to the problems our world faces today? Writer David Grieg doesn’t know the answers either, but all we can do for the future is hope. It’s a must-see show, so do not miss out.
The Events plays at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre until Saturday 21 February before visiting Dundee Rep and Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre.
★★★★
