The Boline Inn is a new piece of time-bending theatre, which brings together a group of women who converge on an inn in Scotland, conjuring power in various ways. While the themes are of magic and feminine power, the structure is largely linear and play-like. Where the script plays with time, it sticks with form — I think it could have benefitted from a departure from linear understandings of story. Early in the script there is a thread of Madonna’s music bringing the characters together, however this doesn’t materialise into anything other than to firmly set the most contemporary of the characters in the 1980’s….again this feels like a missed opportunity.
The company is made up of recent graduates, all of whom do good work here. And while I have critiques, I still think there is something in this script that bears development and further exploration. I hope it can get some space to breathe and grow into the delightfully empowering and form-challenging piece of theatre that’s in there.