REVIEW: Wild Rose – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

While on the surface a story of a gallus Glaswegian and her pursuit of country music glory, Wild Rose is at its heart a tale of inequality of opportunity and the struggles, emotional and moral, between responsibility and ambition.

Nicole Taylor has skilfully adapted her own screenplay for the stage, and while minor changes have been made, it remains true to its original, rough, raw, emotive, self, arguably surpassing its celluloid version.

Rose-Lynn Harlan doesn’t have her struggles to seek. Released from a year in Cornton Vale Prison for drug smuggling, she’s ankle tagged, estranged from her kids and ousted from her job as singer with the resident band at Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry. Her talent undoubted, she sees no hope for herself in her home town, her eyes only on the prize of Nashville – but at what cost? And how? She meets rich, bored housewife Susannah who sees Rose’s talent and a potential vanity project, and who offers her a stint at her upcoming 40th birthday party, where her affluent pals can ‘sponsor’ Rose-Lynn’s trip to the US. Needless to say the path to stardom isn’t smooth.

In creating a character real and believable and in doing so, not always loveable, Nicole Taylor manages to show Rose’s frustrating failings front and centre but still has you rooting for her despite the brash bravado and questionable choices.

The success of the production not only lies at the hands of writer Taylor and the sure pair of hands of director John Tiffany, but in its perfect ensemble cast. The roles of Glaswegians being played by actual Glaswegians rather than the horrific accents from the movie, certainly helps. The cadence of the banter is richer, more real, more believable. Each actor dazzles, irrelevant of the size of their role. In this performance Rose-Lynn is portrayed by understudy Julia Murray, who arguably has a more pure, powerful Country voice than Dawn Sievewright. She is an absolute revelation in the role. Capturing Rose’s infuriating faults and brash charm with a sure hand. She is more than ably supported by the ever-reliable Blythe Duff, who sings beautifully (who knew?) as Mother Marion and the ever-exceptional Louise McCarthy, Hannah Jarrett-Scott and Andy Clark. The eight-piece, on-stage band are on-point too.

To its credit, Wild Rose won’t leave you on the giddy high you might want from an easy happy ending, but like life, it’s complicated. It will however leave you moved, exhilarated, full of hope and wanting more. This is an utter joy of a show, it would be a travesty if it doesn’t have a life beyond this run.

Runs until 19 April 2025