Continuous Growth

The global economy, romantic misadventure and the failings of Scottish social services collide in Catherine Grosvenor’s Continuous Growth, adapted from Finnish language play The Overcoat. Andy Axlegrinder (Billy Mack) is an engineer developing industrial tools when his life spirals into destitution and insanity. This descent rattles not just his wife and two obnoxious children, but the delicate world order. As the ebb and tide of his own fortune plays out against the backdrop of pre-recession Scotland, so do the follies of his peers.

As you could probably guess, if there is comedy to be found, it is dark indeed. Some comic relief—including a hallucinated Jesus—and whimsical set choices don't distract from a weighty message: that Andy's surreal downfall is a metaphor for our collectively broken lives in a broken Western world. It's heavy stuff.

Which is why tender performances from Mack, Hazel Ann Crawford and Sarah McCardie (Andy's wife and unstable childhood friend Linda, respectively) are such a pleasure. With the exception of Mack, each actor takes on a handful of roles, and their versatility is exceptional.

However, curt narration—a, dare we say, very Scandinavian stylistic choice?—and six separate 'acts' make the show’s almost 90 minute length drag. We are snapped back to attention as the show takes a turn for the sci-fi in its exploration of social technology, but this is sadly short lived at the cost of a heavy-handed salvation message. In its final act, Continuous Growth shies away from a darkness which its audience have only finally acclimatised to, and leaves us feeling a little short-changed.