Brazil 12 Scotland 0

Published Thursday 26 May 2005 at 12:10 by Jenny Tweedie

It is a fact known the world over that Scotland can’t play football. A draw for the boys in blue is practically as good as a win. This isn’t a trait shared with Brazil. Indeed, the two countries have little in common, with everything from the weather to the language being dramatically different.

The link of common land ownership therefore is a rather tenuous one but Birds of Paradise does well to make it stick. Having a stab at political theatre, the company connects Scottish crofters to Brazilian farmers claiming back their land for the people, but leave out all that messy bloodshed which used to come into it in the past.

Morven Gregor keeps the action going in this fairly talky piece of theatre, never allowing scenes to drag or the narrative interludes to linger unnecessarily. There is a gentle flow and a natural rhythm that is accentuated by the curious mixture of salsa and folk music.

Alyth McCormack is comforting as a sort of Chris Guthrie character, away from her home and longing for her mountains. Robert Softley and Rachel Amey bounce off each other with great comic timing, while John Hollywood and Gael Le Cornec make a truly odd couple as the Scot and his Brazilian lover, each trying to understand the other.

As part of the movement of shows leading up to the G8 summit in July, Brazil 12 Scotland 0 is not going to change the world. But each social goal needs to be scored one at a time.