Lardo at The Old Red Lion

“Enough spandex to throttle a horse”, boasts the flyer for offbeat wrestling comedy Lardo at The Old Red Lion Theatre. There’s not quite enough of the stretchy fabric to comfortably cover the bulk of the titular Lardo, whose real name is Robert (Daniel Buckley), but don’t be put off! And rest assured that no animals were throttled in the making of this production; the only horse there is the hoarse throat the audience will leave with after cheering on the flabby Glaswegian hero.

As Axl Rose screeches out Welcome to The Jungle, the atmosphere of a wrestling tournament builds, bright lights pulsating over a full-scale ring. The play starts out in The Depot, Glasgow’s leading wrestling venue, where it’s fight night. The wrestlers trash-talk one another, strutting and flexing their toned bodies around the ring with pre-bout bravado, before some seriously impressive combat ensues, slickly choreographed by wrestling director Henry Devas. This is the world of Tartan Wrestling Madness, and it’s a world that Lardo is desperate to be part of.

Teased at school, Lardo turns to YouTube as an outlet for his wrestling aspirations and, after racking up the views, scores a meeting with The Depot’s owner, Gavin Stairs (Nick Karimi). He gets one shot on the bill and, to everyone’s surprise, he’s a hit. “Lardomania” has begun, but soon the wrestling goes off script, and personal problems are brought into the ring. Stairs is on his final warning for breaching several health and safety regulations, but that’s the least of his worries.

Lardo is high-octane, testosterone-pumping performance for pint-drinkers, but it scores high on the feminism stakes too. Thankfully, there are no ring girls in sight, but the story’s women are fierce fighters in more ways than one. As well as boasting an impressive physical dimension, the play is vigorously well-written by Mike Stone. It’s impossible to believe Lardo is his first full-length play; every single character is far, far more than their ring name. Behind the impressive stunts are several impressive storylines, all brought out with aggression and dexterity by the phenomenal cast, under Finn Caldwell’s direction. Hilarious, face-screaming and complex,  Lardo delivers heat and heart, all the while wearing a Lycra leotard. It shouldnae be missed! 

Rowena Hawkins

Lardo is on at The Old Red Lion Theatre from 3^rd until 29^th March 2015, for further information or to book visit here.

Watch the trailer for Lardo here: