The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk

This is a blissfully simple work by Scottish children’s theatre company Catherine Wheels, which won a Fringe First in 2010 for White. Although The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk has been made for young audiences, there are just as many adults without children here, and everyone clamours to sit cross-legged on the cosy floor mats provided.

Andy Manley, the sole performer, zips around the space with ease to tell us the story of Martin and Simon, two best friends who become separated by a brutal fight. It’s an imaginative, charismatic performance that feels a bit like story time at a library if the characters from a book came to life – which is apt, given this takes place at the Traverse stage in the Scottish Book Trust.

Co-created by Manley, Rob Evans and Gill Robertson, it's an effortlessly winning work that doesn’t flinch from the cruelty that children often mete out. With no props except four boxes, Manley paints the story in vivid detail, from Martin and Simon’s initial meeting at primary school to their glorious summer adventures and heart-wrenching falling-out. It’s an understated performance but an astonishing one and—with a little help from a soundtrack of ELO’s 'Mr Blue Sky'—Manley reveals the poignancy of an idyllic childhood friendship shattered by the selfishness of adolescence.

Fused with Evans’ moving text and Robertson’s energetic direction, The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk encourages adults to re-visit their own childhood memories, especially those of lost friendships. And no matter what age you are, it’s emotional, uplifting and completely unforgettable.