A chilling chapter of Glasgow's criminal history has been brought to the stage with Linda McLean's adaptation of Denise Mina's true-crime novel, 'The Long Drop'. Currently playing at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, the production delves into the notorious 1956 triple murder that captivated the city, offering audiences a blend of dark wit and unsettling horror.
The play centres on the brutal killings of Marion Watt, her daughter Vivienne, and sister Margaret Brown, who were shot in their beds in the South Lanarkshire suburb of Burnside. Despite being 90 miles away at the time, Marion's husband, William Watt, found himself under suspicion. Determined to escape the blame, Watt sought out Peter Manuel, a figure from Glasgow's underworld who claimed to possess intimate details of the crime.
The narrative unfolds through a series of boozy encounters between Watt and Manuel, interlaced with court testimony, charting a descent from a lawless underworld into moral ambiguity. The set, designed by Jen McGinley, cleverly transforms between a courtroom and a saloon, reflecting the dual nature of the characters who inhabit Glasgow's clubs and dives – men who project an image of tough, cowboy-like bravado, but whose actions often reveal a much darker reality.
Dominic Hill's direction creates a 'dreamlike' atmosphere, with scenes seamlessly merging as fragments of truth dissolve. Brian Vernel delivers a compelling performance as Manuel, portraying a character with 'dead-eyed stares' and 'baby-faced charisma', whose self-delusion masks his inherent depravity. Opposite him, Keith Fleming plays William Watt as a 'bumptious businessman', constantly striving to appear in control despite his flustered demeanour and association with the city's less reputable figures.
The production paints a vivid picture of a city run by 'spivvy club owners' and 'bluffing lowlifes', where the dynamic between Watt and Manuel forms the uneasy core of a darkly compelling story. While grim in its subject matter, the play's blend of humour and horror ensures a gripping theatrical experience that resonates with the raw, soot-stained character of Glasgow itself.