A Good One is a
Dead One
at C (Venue 34), Edinburgh

Geoff Kidder

A dangerous criminal is on the loose in an Irish town.

One woman has already been attacked. The police are out in force and everybody is advised to stay indoors. Denis Byrne gets a vigilante gang together in the local bar to catch the monster. They are in camouflage and use ridiculous code names. They are looking for a foreign-looking bloke, maybe an African who lives on the edge of town. Then they catch sight of him on a bicycle. Byrne, all fired up, shoots and seriously wounds the man, then realises his mistake. This is just a local lad returning from the shop. Fergal McEllerron plays all the characters with great aplomb. The script is entertaining, witty and plausible. However, it is McElleron's vocal skills, especially as the Irish mother, which made this play work, and it would certainly translate into a lively, passionate radio production.