Everything Under the Sun review

“Compelling”

ReviewsAug 30, 2023by Fergus MorganArmy @ the Fringe, Edinburgh

Rebecca Wilkie in Everything Under the Sun at Army @ the Fringe, Edinburgh. Photo: Fraser Scott

Imperfect but ambitious play about Mali’s civil war

How refreshing to see an emerging Scottish theatremaker with such topical ambition. Highlands-based writer and director Jack MacGregor’s Lustrum Award-winning 2022 show Nightlands tackled the political history of Russia. His new play Everything Under the Sun – commissioned by Army @ the Fringe – tries to dramatize the military situation in Mali – a thorny subject involving terrorist groups, proxy wars, peacekeeping missions and mercenary groups. It does not entirely succeed, but it is compelling nonetheless, and MacGregor deserves credit for attempting something so ambitious.

The plot follows a Scottish soldier, in Mali with the United Nations, and a Malian interpreter as they undertake a clandestine mission in the country’s dangerous, desert north. Through their conversations – with each other, and with the variety of other military personnel they encounter along the way – MacGregor explains and explores the contemporary currents swirling in the country.

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It is enlightening stuff – MacGregor has clearly done his research – that raises profound questions about colonial legacies, Mali’s future, and the practice of peacekeeping. UN forces will withdraw from Mali by the end of 2023, as the military government pivots towards Russia’s Wagner Group for security. Everything Under the Sun asks why this has happened, and what it means for Mali’s future.

There are flaws. The plot is a bit unclear, the dialogue does feel like dry geopolitical debate at times, and it suffers from a simple, stripped-back traverse staging: more sound, more light, more everything would make a big difference. There are three strong performances – Thierry Mabonga is enjoyably exuberant as Malian interpreter Ibrihim, in particular, though he has a lot of knotty stuff to chew on. And it is brilliant to see an early-career artist tackle topics of such scope.

Production Details

Production nameEverything Under the Sun

VenueArmy@The Fringe

LocationEdinburgh

Starts04/08/2023

Ends27/08/2023

Running time1hr

AuthorJack MacGregor

DirectorJack MacGregor

Cast includesRebecca Wilkie, Thierry Mabonga, Bartosz Pol

ProducerArmy at the Fringe Company