The Scottish Mamma Mia! Sunshine on Leith turns The Proclaimers hits into irrepressibly appealing musical

SUNSHINE ON LEITH: How these two inspired the Scottish Mamma Mia! — an irrepressibly appealing jukebox musical.

With Sunshine on Leith Scotland takes a leaf out of Sweden’s book in a bid to mine some feel-good singalong gold.

While it won’t match ABBA’s slam dunk success with Mamma Mia!, this irrepressibly appealing jukebox musical — powered by the many hits of bespectacled Scot popsters The Proclaimers — will still find a receptive audience ‘round these here parts.

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News_Image_File: Kevin Guthrie in a scene from Sunshine on Leith.

A simple storyline pitches two bonny young soldiers who have just returned to their home town of Edinburgh after a tragedy-tinged tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Ally (Kevin Guthrie) already has a girlfriend, Liz (Freya Mavor). His best buddy Davy (George MacKay) is on the lookout for one. His sister Liz’s best friend Yvonne (Antonia Thomas) just might fit the bill.

News_Image_File: A scene from Sunshine on Leith.

Meanwhile, Davy and Yvonne’s parents (Peter Mullan and Jane Horrocks) are approaching their 25th wedding anniversary, and a shock revelation has cast a dark cloud over the plans for a big celebration.

As should rightly be the case, a plot as skimpy as this loses nothing in efficiency as an excuse-to-sing generator, and those impossibly catchy compositions of The Proclaimers enter and exit exactly when they should.

News_Image_File: Scottish singing duo The Proclaimers.

The big hits provide the biggest sonic highlights of the film. I’m On My Way (“from misery to happiness today, uh-huh, uh-huh!”) accompanies a brisk walk along a pub-lined main drag.

The gloriously soaring Letter From America ties in heart-achingly with a featured character’s sudden move overseas.

And in the interests of saving the best until last, what seems like the whole of Edinburgh hits the bricks on a sunny summer’s day to shout and stomp their way through the classic I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).

SUNSHINE ON LEITH (PG)

Director: Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill)

Starring: George MacKay, Freya Mavor, Kevin Guthrie, Antonia Thomas, Peter Mullan, Jane Horrocks

Verdict: Three stars. Proclaiming the right to sing and dance

News_Module: The Proclaimers