Small Acts of Love review tragedy and tenderness in Lockerbie eulogy

"Fitting, then, that the opening production should be a requiem. Less a drama than a mass, it is a eulogy to those killed in the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, the single biggest terrorist loss of life on UK territory. The powerful act one closing song has just three words: Let us remember. The nearest parallel to this sentiment-laden music-theatre piece by Frances Poet and Ricky Ross is Come from Away."

"Both shows are concerned with how small communities deal with global events. In the musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the locals in a Newfoundland town care for those stranded after 9/11; here, the people of a small Scottish town cope with the grief of the downing of Pan Am flight 103 in the most practical way they can. The heartening moral of a heavy story is in the small acts of love they show towards the bereaved families, primarily American,"

"Uninterested in the reasons for the attack, she presents the personal as political. If Small Acts of Love wallows in sadness, it does so unashamedly. Carrying much of the emotion are Ross's songs, sweet celebrations of community, their Americana-tinged folk melodies given gentle force by the large and excellent ensemble and delicate arrangements by a chamber orchestra under the musical direction of Gavin Whitworth."

The theatre reopened after a seven-year renovation following losses including pandemic victims and the recent death of Giles Havergal. The opening production functions as a requiem and a eulogy for those killed in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, the largest terrorist loss of life on UK territory. The piece parallels Come from Away in portraying how small communities respond to global tragedy. A small Scottish town cares for bereaved, primarily American, families through practical acts such as assembling belongings, cleaning clothes and creating memorials. Poet's script emphasizes visceral detail and presents the personal as political. Ross's Americana-tinged songs carry much of the emotion, supported by a large ensemble and chamber orchestra under Gavin Whitworth, within Dominic Hill's production featuring Tom Piper's bare set and Bruno Poet's dynamic lighting.

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