By Migcobo Majali
Making Wine in Scotland is a witty play that offers social commentary on the lengths a capitalist society is willing to go to for financial gain.
Set in an apocalyptic world where a tree-killing virus poses a risk to the survival of humanity, the narrative follows three characters: Ellis, a scientist who is tasked to create the cure for the virus; Nandi is an engineer who captures Ellis’s heart, she also has a machine that can be a solution to the tree problem; and Celine, a rich and influential capitalist, who is willing to sabotage saving the world in pursuit of financial gain.
Ellis and Nandi are two nerdy and awkward individuals trying to maintain a romantic relationship while becoming parents in a collapsing society.
After finding out that Nandi is pregnant, the two are set to make the world a better and liveable place for their unborn child.
With this in mind, the play explores the dynamics between the different characters, with Celine being Ellis and Nandi’s boss.
Ellis, a shy and needy character who frequently has monologues that sometimes slow down the pace of the play, sometimes comes off as overly anxious and a little childlike.
In contrast, Nandi is much more relatable, talkative and curious. The formation of this relationship provides the perfect narrative conflict, as Celine’s greed causes a rift between the couple. Ellis’s cure offers a long-term solution by protecting the trees and ensuring oxygen production continues.
On the other hand, Nandi has manufactured a machine that provides immediate ventilation but cannot be sustained in the long run. This serves Celine’s financial interests better than Ellis’s cure and speaks on the dangers of capitalism in prioritising profit over human health and environmental sustainability.
The production effectively questions the extent to which the rich are willing to go in their quest for wealth, often done at the expense of the underprivileged and the planet itself.
Making Wine in Scotland provides a provocative narrative combining humour and critique of society. It urges its viewers to reflect on the impact of capitalism on society.
