Review by Jo Tomalin
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Make it Happen

The Edinburgh International Festival presents the World Premiere of Make It Happen written by James Graham and directed by Andrew Panton produced by National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep Theatre in August 2025.

Graham is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter for notable productions of Dear England, Best of Enemies and Ink. Panton, artistic director of Dundee Rep Theatre and award winning director of plays such as Out of the Woods and A History of Paper. It is no wonder that Make It Happen is an important and anticipated production at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival.

The play is about the Royal Bank of Scotland’s fall and what – and who – brought this about. The venerable bank, RBS follows Fred Goodwin, played by Sandy Grierson as he commits to the financial strategies created by revered economist, Adam Smith played by Brian Cox. Rather Cox plays a ghost of Smith who goads Goodwin, known by some as as Fred the Shred.

Starting with a group pf tourists looking at large paintings in a gothic looking scene an ensemble of of about 12 are taken around the gallery. Suddenly as if in a Greek Theatre theme, masks and coats descend dramatically. A narrator and voice overs lead us away into Goodwin’s life, his arrogant rise and ultimate fall as an accountant.

The script and information about the RBS is on point. They’re aware of European banks and how they’re doing and Fred has huge ambitions that grow by the minute. An ensemble, like a Greek chorus, comes in between scenes and some times speak or play characters and comment on events or move the story forward, often with bursts of song!

There are several brief scenes in this two hour thirty minute play which moves the detailed story along well. These brief flashes of scenes include board members with a fast appearing set piece of columns, conservatives politicians and the general mood that if Goodwin wants adventure, he’ll have to make it happen himselfl

Prophetically, Goodwin’s character is realistic in his dialogue with colleagues and family and when he reads out Smith’s views on commerce. Others try to warn him, but Goodwin recommends growth and wants to buy NatWest.

Music by Martin Lowe accompanies with underscore at times, and with loud with snappy beats in the numerous chorus appearances trailing on stage or dancing in between. When Goodwin is with a Scottish bank and wants RBS, he takes over banks, bidding successfully to vibrant music! The music is catchy and biting, and adds to the drama – and the tension. Suddenly, Goodwin becomes an admired chief executive.

A conversation with a colleague brings humanity to the story, who bigs him up, imagining how Fred’s dad would be proud. The ensemble’s comments after this scene are very entertaining! Politician Gordon Brown appears at the Scottish. Parliament, urging balance, to no avail. An ingenious set panel is opened to show a brief scene as if in an Amsterdam like shop window with pink lights – very creative use of this variable square set piece a few more times credited to set designer Anna Fleischie.

Cox has attitude and sarcasm as this ghost of Adam Smith and is enjoying it all. Lively conversations with Smith and Goodwin are delicious when they get down to brass tacks and even riff a bit in a glorious moment! Grierson’s Goodwin creates the character with depth and portrays the emotional range very well throughout. There are fantasy moments between Cox and Fred that are charming as they reflect on the city.

The ensemble has the last work, or hiss! An appropriate act to end this story. In all this is a creative well performed vital play with high production values. It is not only very entertaining but also informative and a reminder of what can happen when ambition is strong. Highly Recommended!