Review: Restless Natives the musical

Lisa in the theatre
Jun 26
4 min read

The new stage adaptation of cult classic Scottish film Restless Natives has arrived in Glasgow for the final dates of its Scottish tour. The musicals plays the King's Theatre Glasgow from Tues 24 - Sat 28 June 2025.

Review: The King's Theatre, Glasgow | 25 June 2025

Restless Natives Production Photography. Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic

Restless Natives the musical ★★★☆☆

Produced and directed by the team behind the original Scottish film, alongside co-producers Perth Theatre, Restless Natives the musical takes the rousing story of two working-class heroes, the clown and the wolfman, and gives it a full theatrical makeover. Featuring songs from legendary Scottish rock band Big Country as well as original music from Tim Sutton, Restless Natives gives a whole new generation of exciting Scottish talent the chance to tell this beloved tale on stage and with song.

1985 film Restless Natives achieved cult status in Scotland. The Robin-Hood heroes resonated with a country suffering from high post-industrial unemployment and governed by the English Conservative party. It fed in to the lore of Scottish folk heroes such as Rob Roy, Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, and perhaps a yearning for new saviours to emerge. The new musical tugs at the same threads, and does a great job of recreating a sense of Scottish cultural pride.

Restless Natives - the plot

Young Edinburgh friends Will (Stuart Edgar) and Ronnie (Kyle Gardiner) work in a local joke shop. Looking to ease their boredom and 'earn' some extra money, they decide to don clown and wolfman masks from their shop and head out on the highland roads on a motorbike to rob American tourist coaches with toy guns. The boys become infamous highwaymen, revered for their playful, polite and courteous ways of holding up the buses and for sharing their bounty by showering the stolen cash on their local streets whilst evading the police.

For the new stage musical, Becky Minto's clever set transforms from the joke shop to the open road and back again seamlessly. But it does sometimes feel cluttered with many road signs and props filling the stage at once. It was always going to be a difficult ask to capture the stunning beauty of the highlands, and the speed and freedom of the boys motorbike on the winding open roads, within the confines of a traditional stage. And indeed that is one area where the film cannot be beaten - in showcasing Scotland's beautiful scenery.

Too much of a good thing?

Starting a production with Big Country's thumping 'In A Big Country' will never be a bad idea, and it gets this Scottish rock inspired musical off to a foot-stomping start. At the other end of proceedings, closing the show is a fantastically fun original song 'What Kind of Country is this?' But between these banging bookends, this stage musical is too long and drawn out.

What was a snappy 90 minute film here runs closer to 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval.) There isn't enough plot to justify that run time, and instead the show is inflated with too many musical numbers. I don't think i've ever complained about a musical having too many songs before! And while it is admirable that this production has tried to give every cast member their own feature song, the sheer abundance of them slows the pace of the story and makes the show overlong.

Restless Natives the musical does have its moments of brilliance (the clown and the wolfman robbing the Musical Director Hilary Brooks and her band; and scattering the audience with fake money, are two such inspired ideas.) And it excels with sharp humour delivered by an enthusiastic cast. Another highlight is Chris Stuart Wilson's lively choreography. Never dated, always original - Wilson's steps elevate every scene, adding joyous movement and interest where it's least expected and most needed.

The Clown and The Wolfman continue to steal our hearts

The ensemble cast of Restless Natives the musical are excellent, with veteran powerhouses Alan McHugh (Baird) and Harry Ward (Dad & Nigel) stealing any scenes they are in. The company's voices are all impressive, and they have plenty of opportunity to show them off. But love interest Kirsty MacLaren (Margot) is a standout; both her dramatic and vocal performance exude quality.

The always wonderful Kyle Gardiner shines in one of the two lead roles as the rebellious ringleader Ronnie / The Clown. If you aren't already doing so, this is a young actor's career you should be following closely. On the night I saw Restless Natives, Gardiner's partner in crime was understudy Will, Stuart Edgar, who was making his debut in the role. Wow. His voice, his comic timing - just incredible. They make for a likeable, captivating double act and a believable pair of bandits to root for. The Clown and The Wolfman continue to steal our hearts.

Restless Natives: the musical is good nostalgic, silly fun with a sensational young cast proving that the future of Scottish theatre is indeed bright ★★★☆☆

Restless Natives: the musical plays at Glasgow King's Theatre until Saturday 28 June 2025. This is the final stop on the tour for the clown and the wolfman. Go support this fantastic Scottish cast on their last hurrah. Buy tickets here

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MORE: Also playing in Glasgow this week Man's Best Friend at the Tron and The Inquisitor at A Play, A Pie and A Pint.

Read my review of Douglas Maxwell's Man's Best Friend starring River City's Jordan Young here

Read my review of Peter Arnott's The Inquisitor at A Play, A Pie and a Pint here