REVIEW: The Tailor of Inverness at the Finborough 14 May – 8 June 2024

‘Secrets, lies and shattered lives’ ★★★★

Mateusz is a jovial chap. A tailor by trade, originally from the Polish/Ukrainian border, he settles in Scotland after World War 2. Mateusz loves nothing better than to talk about his extraordinary life before, during and just after the war: the thriving, friendly community of Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Jews of his childhood, the numerous girlfriends he had as a young man, the outbreak of war, surviving imprisonment in Soviet Russia, fighting alongside British troops in North Africa and Italy, arriving in Scotland with nothing but his sewing machine just after the war. But which of his stories are true, and what is Mateusz hiding?

The Tailor of Inverness is the true story of writer and actor Matthew Zajac’s father, a man of great humour, ambition and deep flaws. This one-man show is a tale of secrets, lies and the courage to survive in the face of the brutality of war.

Matthew Zajac’s performance brought energy and physicality to the piece. Jonny Hardy’s sometimes playful, often plaintive live violin soundtrack provided welcome texture to the show. Ben Harrison’s clever direction was well paced and full of visually unexpected moments.

The show was at its best when Mateusz is telling his tales, but when his son Matthew describes his journey of discovery about his father’s past, the writing was somewhat self-indulgent. While understandable, given the deeply personal nature of the piece, this took away from what was otherwise a powerful piece of theatre.

The Tailor of Inverness is part of the Finborough’s Theatre’s #VoicesFromUkraine, a programming strand set up in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Photography credit: Tim-Morozzo

The Tailor of Inverness by Matthew Zajac , Dogstar Theatre Company, Finborough Theatre, 14 May to 8 June 2024, Box office: www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

Written and performed by: Matthew Zajac, Magdalena Kaleta (voiceover)

Director: Ben Harrison

Violinist: Jonny Hardy

Reviewer: Srabani Sen

Srabani is a theatre actress and playwright. As an actress she has performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (The Globe), the Arcola, Southwark Playhouse, The Pleasance and numerous fringe theatres, in a range of roles from Shakespeare to plays by new and emerging writers. She has written several short and full-length plays. Her play Tawaif was longlisted for the ETPEP Finborough award, and her play Vijaya was shortlisted for the Sultan Padamsee Playwrights Award in Mumbai.