'Keli', the stage play about the post 1984/85 Miners' Strike world as viewed by a sharp tongued tenor horn player who experiences a surreal connection to a 150 year old Marxist collier, is enjoying critical acclaim on its current production run in Scotland.

Magnificent

The Guardian newspaper gave it a three star review, saying that Keli was "a young woman rooted in the landscape... muddling on by in a resolutely modern world...", the set providing "cavernous black walls" that "never let us forget this is a community built on coal."

And whist stating the play provides a "powerful sentiment" it was "only when magnificently, the Whitburn Band (alternating with Kingdom Brass) takes to the stage at the end of Bryony Shanahan's production do we get a sense of collective endeavour."

Raw and angry

Meanwhile, 'The Scotsman' newspaper in its five star review called the "ambitious new show", "magnificent"- "raw, angry and quick witted".

In addition, the influential 'What's on Stage' website review said that: "The magisterial swell of the Whitburn and Kingdom bands, who fill the stage in the final moments, really catch the heart. Tellingly, it's when the words stop that the show really finds its soul."

The eventual appearance of a full band has the emotional impact much of the rest seems to have been striving for, yet never quite achievingAll Edinburgh Theatre.com

Impressive

Although noting the "difficulties in the presentation of the play", the Edinburgh Music Review noted the contribution of Whitburn tenor horn player Andrew McMillan and Whitburn Band.

Whilst the All Edinburgh Theatre.com website also noted the "problems with the production"that "never quite works as a coherent whole", they still felt it had "real power"- with Andrew MacMillan's playing "impressive".

They added: "The eventual appearance of a full band (Whitburn on this occasion, Kingdom Brass on others) has the emotional impact much of the rest seems to have been striving for, yet never quite achieving."