Press Reviews
The Upcoming ****
Laura Foulger
Pipeline Theatre’s work is deeply human and consistently wonderful.
Amidst all that is abstract and avant-garde at the Edinburgh Fringe, Pipeline Theatre offers respite with a solid piece of scriptwriting. Swivelhead is the young theatre company’s fourth show, following its critically-acclaimed Transports, Streaming and Spillikin – a love story.
In this production, Paddy is an RAF drone operator, no longer a fighter jet pilot due to poor health. He has always been sure of his duty, but the younger generation has brought with it a new-age warfare and updated Rules of Engagement, leaving him disoriented and frustrated. We come to know Paddy through conversations with new recruit Callum and with his beloved sister Hattie, whose wedding day is approaching. On the big day, Paddy must finally confront the deepening conflicts between his duty and morality and reconcile with his childhood. It is unhelpful – to say the least – that he also seems to be turning into an owl…
Ben Dyson gives a sterling, complete performance as Paddy, his genteel RP accent the perfect vehicle for his politically incorrect sense of humour. Juliet Welch is cheerfully loveable as Hattie, while Lewis Howard provides Callum with just the right level of earnestness with which to counterbalance Paddy. Swivelhead delivers an innovative set, a real drone and even an unexpected moment of puppetry, a fitting complement to Jon Welch’s naturalistic and thoughtful script.
One of Pipeline’s skills lies in effectually creating a grand-scale ethical dilemma as a landscape in which to house a personal one. Within these microcosms of morality, the individual scrambles to prevent the millstone round his neck from letting the world drown him, yet his story is presented with such tenderness as to give us hope for his redemption.
Watching a Pipeline Theatre play is like watching one of the classics, trusting all the while that it is carefully building to something sublime.
Laura Foulger
Pipeline Theatre’s work is deeply human and consistently wonderful.
Amidst all that is abstract and avant-garde at the Edinburgh Fringe, Pipeline Theatre offers respite with a solid piece of scriptwriting. Swivelhead is the young theatre company’s fourth show, following its critically-acclaimed Transports, Streaming and Spillikin – a love story.
In this production, Paddy is an RAF drone operator, no longer a fighter jet pilot due to poor health. He has always been sure of his duty, but the younger generation has brought with it a new-age warfare and updated Rules of Engagement, leaving him disoriented and frustrated. We come to know Paddy through conversations with new recruit Callum and with his beloved sister Hattie, whose wedding day is approaching. On the big day, Paddy must finally confront the deepening conflicts between his duty and morality and reconcile with his childhood. It is unhelpful – to say the least – that he also seems to be turning into an owl…
Ben Dyson gives a sterling, complete performance as Paddy, his genteel RP accent the perfect vehicle for his politically incorrect sense of humour. Juliet Welch is cheerfully loveable as Hattie, while Lewis Howard provides Callum with just the right level of earnestness with which to counterbalance Paddy. Swivelhead delivers an innovative set, a real drone and even an unexpected moment of puppetry, a fitting complement to Jon Welch’s naturalistic and thoughtful script.
One of Pipeline’s skills lies in effectually creating a grand-scale ethical dilemma as a landscape in which to house a personal one. Within these microcosms of morality, the individual scrambles to prevent the millstone round his neck from letting the world drown him, yet his story is presented with such tenderness as to give us hope for his redemption.
Watching a Pipeline Theatre play is like watching one of the classics, trusting all the while that it is carefully building to something sublime.
Edfringe Review****
Darcy Rollins
This play is a classic story of one man’s fight with himself and his past. It is also a story in which a man turns into an owl.
‘Swivelhead’ is a thoroughly modern and unusual take on the perennial question of the impossibility of morality in war. At first read this description might not mentally prepare you for an entertaining show. However, all the elements - acting, writing and set - make this a production filled with humour and grace.
This play undoubtedly does something interesting with an old subject matter. The script is a tapestry of 21st century concerns, with masculinity, technology and terrorism linked convincingly by the sharp writing of Jon Welch. Paddy (Ben Dyson) is the increasingly angry vessel of these concerns. Indeed, 'concerns' is the perfect word for the themes of this play - because they truly afflict all three main characters throughout the show. As the play progresses, these modern concerns increasingly seep in more and more, eventually overtaking the lighthearted banter.
Paddy is charismatic, likeable and amusing. He is also a sexist, aggressive bully who revels in making his inferior pilot uncomfortable. But you don’t really notice this at first. This is a testament to Dyson’s charm. In many plays about war, the gruff hero/ anti-hero such as this normally slips through the play without change or comment. In this particular one, however, his nature is brought to the fore very directly. As Paddy experiences the full force of his PTSD, he imagines the deferential Callum (Lewis Howard) turning on him. The sharp turnaround is clever, completely subverting the audience's expectations. As Paddy breaks down, the damage of his childhood becomes apparent. The moment of his owl transformation is incredibly ambiguous, but curiously beautiful. His sister Hattie (Juliet Mench) must be mentioned for simply excellent acting. She is filled with such convincing warmth, and it is clear why she is the only individual the icy pilot cares about.
Maybe it is a testament to the captivating acting, or maybe it was the intention all along, but the grand topics of drones vs. traditional warfare are submerged in the personal. Although I find this unexpected, it is fitting that a play about war focuses so intently upon the emotional repercussions upon the individual.
This is simply a story that grabs you and holds you by the sheer force of the acting and writing. In light of the ambitious topics tackled and absurdity encountered, this is no small feat.
Darcy Rollins
This play is a classic story of one man’s fight with himself and his past. It is also a story in which a man turns into an owl.
‘Swivelhead’ is a thoroughly modern and unusual take on the perennial question of the impossibility of morality in war. At first read this description might not mentally prepare you for an entertaining show. However, all the elements - acting, writing and set - make this a production filled with humour and grace.
This play undoubtedly does something interesting with an old subject matter. The script is a tapestry of 21st century concerns, with masculinity, technology and terrorism linked convincingly by the sharp writing of Jon Welch. Paddy (Ben Dyson) is the increasingly angry vessel of these concerns. Indeed, 'concerns' is the perfect word for the themes of this play - because they truly afflict all three main characters throughout the show. As the play progresses, these modern concerns increasingly seep in more and more, eventually overtaking the lighthearted banter.
Paddy is charismatic, likeable and amusing. He is also a sexist, aggressive bully who revels in making his inferior pilot uncomfortable. But you don’t really notice this at first. This is a testament to Dyson’s charm. In many plays about war, the gruff hero/ anti-hero such as this normally slips through the play without change or comment. In this particular one, however, his nature is brought to the fore very directly. As Paddy experiences the full force of his PTSD, he imagines the deferential Callum (Lewis Howard) turning on him. The sharp turnaround is clever, completely subverting the audience's expectations. As Paddy breaks down, the damage of his childhood becomes apparent. The moment of his owl transformation is incredibly ambiguous, but curiously beautiful. His sister Hattie (Juliet Mench) must be mentioned for simply excellent acting. She is filled with such convincing warmth, and it is clear why she is the only individual the icy pilot cares about.
Maybe it is a testament to the captivating acting, or maybe it was the intention all along, but the grand topics of drones vs. traditional warfare are submerged in the personal. Although I find this unexpected, it is fitting that a play about war focuses so intently upon the emotional repercussions upon the individual.
This is simply a story that grabs you and holds you by the sheer force of the acting and writing. In light of the ambitious topics tackled and absurdity encountered, this is no small feat.
Edinburgh Festivals Magazine****
Calum Wilson
Swivelhead follows Paddy, a former Typhoon pilot, now working operations for drone pilots where he is stored away from the action after injuring his neck. While the new recruit endures Paddy’s ceaseless banter, the story divulges his special relationship with his sister, hinting at a darker past.
A new, thought-provoking and dark play, it fashions a narrative ensuring audiences are enticed. The characters are skilfully brought to life by their talented actors, making the tale believable as well as captivating. One of the most striking parts to the play is the set itself, being one of the most intricate the Fringe has to offer.
Thematically, it has much more to tell through underlying ethical dilemmas of modern warfare, for which the play should be commended. An intelligent, creative piece of writing that doesn’t shy away from subverting itself from commonplace storytelling.
Calum Wilson
Swivelhead follows Paddy, a former Typhoon pilot, now working operations for drone pilots where he is stored away from the action after injuring his neck. While the new recruit endures Paddy’s ceaseless banter, the story divulges his special relationship with his sister, hinting at a darker past.
A new, thought-provoking and dark play, it fashions a narrative ensuring audiences are enticed. The characters are skilfully brought to life by their talented actors, making the tale believable as well as captivating. One of the most striking parts to the play is the set itself, being one of the most intricate the Fringe has to offer.
Thematically, it has much more to tell through underlying ethical dilemmas of modern warfare, for which the play should be commended. An intelligent, creative piece of writing that doesn’t shy away from subverting itself from commonplace storytelling.
The Fife Free Press ****
Captivating, intriguing and absorbing, it’s safe to say there is no other drama quite like Swivelhead on the Fringe. A new piece of writing, it makes the most of an imaginative split set to tell the story of an RAF drone commander who slowly, steadily unravels and begins turning into an owl.
It mixes the personal and the professional, using the set superbly to illustrate each before gradually intertwining them as the show moves towards a rather strange ending. Swivelhead studies the effects of warfare on the military - the human cost amid the hi-tech approach of targeting the enemy. Commander, Paddy Atkinson-Ward (Ben Dyson) is old school; got the wings, chalked up the missions and sees civilians as collateral damage. It’s clear his career is everything,and yet it hasn’t taken him as high as he thinks it should have, so he finds himself as a drone commander, with a new, young rookie side kick, Callum (Lewis Howard) whose views and training also underline the shifting sands even within the service he has dedicated a huge part of his life to. Paddy is a man increasingly out of step with ‘modern’ thinking, and his bravado and bluster are stripped away to reveal a worrying vulnerability. But central to the story is Paddy’s bond to his sister, Hattie (Juliet Welch), who is counting down to her wedding something neither thought would ever happen. Paddy envisaged them growing old together – he refers to her fiancé is ‘thingy’ and struggles to accept her promise that nothing will change.
As kids they played in a tree house, and the top half of this split set recreates that carefree childhood haunt. Below it is stark ops room where Paddy and his side kick spend endless, tedious shifts monitoring activity among unspecified groups. Paddy’s growing tetchiness with his sister is just one of the signs of his fragility. He starts suffering strange physical ailments too, while his tall tales sit increasingly uneasy with his modern-thinking partner in the control room. Gradually, we watch the wing commander fall apart as the certainties in his world start to spin and turn, leaving him increasingly distressed. The writing is fantastic - it draws you into the narrative - and the three strong cast deserve huge credit for some compelling performances in a show that is as much about the person as it is about the bigger subject of warfare.
The List ****
David Kettle
RAF drone commander Paddy Atkinson-Ward is a military man of the old school. He races vintage cars, jokes about dogging, and takes young recruit Callum under his tally-ho protective wing, passing the time with bawdy chit-chat while directing drone strikes against unidentified Middle Eastern insurgents. Until he starts turning into an owl.
Last year, Pipeline Theatre brought a fully functioning robot to the Fringe as a central character in their poignant love story Spillikin. This year's show has expanded, with an elaborate set, and an equally ambitious tale – with a far harder edge.
This is a bold, hugely enjoyable piece of theatre that wouldn't be out of place on any of the city's main stages. Its broad-ranging themes – family love, warfare, old versus new military values, and, of course, terrorism – are conveyed nimbly in writer and director Jon Welch's sparkling, funny dialogue. Ben Dyson as Paddy has plenty of memorable one-liners, while still convincingly charting his character's descent into despair.
Juliet Welch is tender as his sister Hattie, and Lewis Howard gives a superbly nuanced, considered performance as young recruit Callum. This is serious, thought-provoking stuff that sets its sights high, and scores a direct hit.
David Kettle
RAF drone commander Paddy Atkinson-Ward is a military man of the old school. He races vintage cars, jokes about dogging, and takes young recruit Callum under his tally-ho protective wing, passing the time with bawdy chit-chat while directing drone strikes against unidentified Middle Eastern insurgents. Until he starts turning into an owl.
Last year, Pipeline Theatre brought a fully functioning robot to the Fringe as a central character in their poignant love story Spillikin. This year's show has expanded, with an elaborate set, and an equally ambitious tale – with a far harder edge.
This is a bold, hugely enjoyable piece of theatre that wouldn't be out of place on any of the city's main stages. Its broad-ranging themes – family love, warfare, old versus new military values, and, of course, terrorism – are conveyed nimbly in writer and director Jon Welch's sparkling, funny dialogue. Ben Dyson as Paddy has plenty of memorable one-liners, while still convincingly charting his character's descent into despair.
Juliet Welch is tender as his sister Hattie, and Lewis Howard gives a superbly nuanced, considered performance as young recruit Callum. This is serious, thought-provoking stuff that sets its sights high, and scores a direct hit.
The National ****
Nadine Mcbay
SQUADRON Leader “Beep” Atkinson is what the boys in the mess call “a card”. As old-school as they come, the former Typhoon pilot (Ben Dyson) is married to the job, defiantly non-PC and tells his rookie airman new partner (Lewis Howard) that he’s has coped with the knowledge of taking people’s lives by simply “not holding on to stuff”.
Now, in the age of drone warfare, that disconnect is even easier, he says. “You could be off your tits,” he gruffs. “But there’s no risk to life – at least not ours.” But even drones – unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs – are piloted by individuals. People, like this pair, who spend most of their hours on duty in shipping containers, staking out their targets and trying to decide whether the man who makes a delivery every day at a certain time, or the group who seem to be praying, are in fact, legitimate targets after all.
Atkinson attempts to fill his time doing The Times crossword or ribbing his young charge with the suggestion he’s a fan of dogging. But no amount of laddish ribaldry will stir the youngster, who busies himself with his photography magazines. To photograph an owl in flight, he notes, is his ambition.
Pipeline Theatre started in 2013 with the aim of creating challenging, topical theatre with high production values, and they don’t fail on any count here. A highly ingenious set affords that the action – or non-action – in the field is interspersed with conversations with Atkinson’s beloved sister back home. Hattie (Juliet Welch), is preparing for marriage. “Nothing will change between us,” she assures her brother, who is apparently going through some health-related paranoia. Why are his nails growing longer, almost talon-like? And the hair on his arms – it seems thicker, almost featherlike. What’s happening?
It’s refreshing to see older actors at the Fringe and a fresh take on an old subject – the absurdity of war. Swivelhead is a poignant and often blackly humorous take on the unseen casualties on both sides.
Nadine Mcbay
SQUADRON Leader “Beep” Atkinson is what the boys in the mess call “a card”. As old-school as they come, the former Typhoon pilot (Ben Dyson) is married to the job, defiantly non-PC and tells his rookie airman new partner (Lewis Howard) that he’s has coped with the knowledge of taking people’s lives by simply “not holding on to stuff”.
Now, in the age of drone warfare, that disconnect is even easier, he says. “You could be off your tits,” he gruffs. “But there’s no risk to life – at least not ours.” But even drones – unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs – are piloted by individuals. People, like this pair, who spend most of their hours on duty in shipping containers, staking out their targets and trying to decide whether the man who makes a delivery every day at a certain time, or the group who seem to be praying, are in fact, legitimate targets after all.
Atkinson attempts to fill his time doing The Times crossword or ribbing his young charge with the suggestion he’s a fan of dogging. But no amount of laddish ribaldry will stir the youngster, who busies himself with his photography magazines. To photograph an owl in flight, he notes, is his ambition.
Pipeline Theatre started in 2013 with the aim of creating challenging, topical theatre with high production values, and they don’t fail on any count here. A highly ingenious set affords that the action – or non-action – in the field is interspersed with conversations with Atkinson’s beloved sister back home. Hattie (Juliet Welch), is preparing for marriage. “Nothing will change between us,” she assures her brother, who is apparently going through some health-related paranoia. Why are his nails growing longer, almost talon-like? And the hair on his arms – it seems thicker, almost featherlike. What’s happening?
It’s refreshing to see older actors at the Fringe and a fresh take on an old subject – the absurdity of war. Swivelhead is a poignant and often blackly humorous take on the unseen casualties on both sides.