REVIEW: Hive City Legacy at HOME

Hive City legacy at HOME
Hive City Legacy – Image courtesy of
Helen Murray
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the creators of Hot Brown Honey, which created a resounding buzz and satisfying sting when it played at HOME in 2017, comes Hive City Legacy. Unfortunately, I was one of the unlucky ones who missed out on Hot Brown Honey, so I was determined to make it into the hive for this new show.

Hive City Legacy raised the roof at HOME Manchester on the night I attended. Directed by Hot Brown Honey’s Lisa Fa’alafi, it’s a riotous 60-minute long cabaret showcase, written and developed by Busty Beatz and Yami Lofvenberg, featuring a hugely talented cast of nine femmes of colour, who took part in a paid programme with the Roundhouse in 2018.

Fierce, feisty and furious, Hive City Legacy digs deep into female empowerment, exploring the hangover of Empire and remnants of colonialism which run through contemporary society. It’s political and loud; funny and down-right uncomfortable at times; powerful, poetic and frenetic.

With a brilliant soundtrack, nine-strong warrior bees take to the stage to confront and challenge the hornet’s nest of patriarchy and racial discrimination, which has harmed and confined them at times throughout their lives. Tackling perceptions of Britishness, gender identity, mental health and the male gaze, Hive City Legacy uses a clever and vibrant mix of spoken word, diverse dance styles and circus. And despite the hard-hitting themes, this show is anything but downbeat.

Above everything, Hive City Legacy feels like a celebration. Swarming the stage, it is truly wonderful to watch such talented women take over the performance space at HOME, expressing how they really feel and demand that we watch.

-Kristy Stott

Hive City Legacy runs at HOME Manchester until Saturday 7th September 2019.

REVIEW: Jerry Springer – The Opera at Hope Mill Theatre

Jerry Springer - The Opera at Hope Mill Theatre
Jerry Springer – The Opera at Hope Mill Theatre
Photo credit: Anthony Robling
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, Jerry Springer – The Opera caused a storm when it first played at the National Theatre in 2003. Steeped in controversy, it caused an even bigger ruckus (despite airing after the watershed, with explicit warnings) when it was broadcast by the BBC in 2005. Now in a brilliantly gaudy, no-holds-barred revival at Hope Mill, the production still feels especially relevant.

Outlandish and always entertaining, the appeal of the production lies in its ability to smash together high art – opera and stunning vibrato – with the profanity and lewdness of Jerry’s TV show. James Baker’s fabulous direction flaunts this juxtaposition of genres – no opportunity is spared.

Giving the impression of a live TV studio, the audience sit on either side of the stage. Taking the format of The Jerry Springer Show, different groups of guests enter the stage to confess their dirty secrets, screw-ups and deepest desires. There’s shouting, plenty of swearing and more than one skirmish (just like the real show), but Security Steve has everything under control.

The show gets progressively more surreal in the second half when Jerry finds himself in a satanic underworld, governing a dispute of biblical proportions.

It’s one hell (pardon the pun) of a show to stage in Hope Mill Theatre’s intimate performance space, but it works. Each beautifully delivered lewd lyric translates perfectly and Sindy Richardson’s choreography is carried out with precision and vigor.

On a slightly deeper level, the show explores the moral responsibility of the media. With the current demand for reality TV shows like Love Island and programmes like Jeremy Kyle being axed, there’s certainly a discussion to be had. Do these shows provide a valid commentary on society or are they deeply damaging?

It is hard to find any fault with James Baker’s production. A hugely talented cast and Victoria Hinton-Albrieux’s gorgeously gross design make Jerry Springer – The Opera a striking and unmissable night out.

-Kristy Stott

Jerry Springer – The Opera runs at Hope Mill Theatre until 31 August.

The Nico Project at the Stoller Hall (MIF19)

The Nico project at the Stoller Hall (MIF19)
Image courtesy of Manchester International Festival

Reviewer: Rachel Foster

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As part of MIF (Manchester International Festival), that aims to bring artists from different art forms to create forward thinking innovative work. Maxine Peake stars in the world premiere of The Nico Project as 60’s icon of the same name. The singer often remembered for her husky deep vocals and startling looks.

This show goes beyond the image of femme fatale into deeper to look at women’s place in male arenas such as music and how Nico fits into that. The narrative throws light on a lesser known album called The Marble Index – she is more connected in minds with Lou Reed and Andy Warhol. It actually carries a lot of cache today. The Nico Project is an all woman show in terms of performer Maxine, director Sarah Frankcom with music by Anna Clyne and text by playwright LV Crowe.

Poignantly Nico resided in Manchester towards the end of her life. Attracted by a seedy underworld that fed an addiction to heroin (so the story goes) and something about the city resonated with her.

Peake as Nico enters nonchalantly with long navy overcoat. She stumbles and stutters over her words as a damaged character would. The lights remain up leaving her very exposed to scrutiny, whilst the atmosphere conjured up is ghostly with a haunting quality. her hands shake as she draws on a cigarette, she’s both enigmatic & frail, yet full of idiosyncrasies.

An all female orchestra enter dressed alike with green neckerchiefs almost naive and fragile. They interact with Peake in a way that is out of context for musicians but nevertheless works well, and brings things alive. Their movement is so well executed and choreographed. Lyrics are repeated mesmerisingly as Peake wanders the stage in disarray. ‘Close to the frozen borderline’ lyrics brings things to a sudden change when the Hall is thrust into darkness. And Nico appears elevated on a platform above the stage as the orchestra contort around the stage spectre like.

The whole spectacle is a joy to watch both innovative and captivating. It was a wonderfully unique portrayal of a woman in a traditionally male environment.

-Rachel Foster

The Nico Project runs at the Stoller Hall until 21 July 2019.

Review: Janelle Monáe at Castlefield Bowl (MIF19)

Janelle Monáe at Castlefield Bowl (MIF190 Credit: Priti Shikotra
Janelle Monáe at Castlefield Bowl (MIF190 Credit: Priti Shikotra
Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Taking place just after Yoko Ono’s Bells for Peace (and with several of the bells making an appearance), Janelle Monáe brings her Dirty Computer tour to Castlefield Bowl and opens MIF19 with a bang.

Opening with Crazy, Classic, Life, the energy on stage is high from the very first moment and this is reflected straight back by the sold-out crowd. The four-person band sound as if they have twice as many members thanks to the sheer dynamism of their musicianship, whilst the backing dancers bring a truckload of charisma to the stage and disguise the several costume changes with ease. (The vagina trousers from the Pynk video are especially well received.)

Midway through the set, Monáe pauses the music and delivers a monologue about the importance of supporting minorities and standing up to oppression. In the hands of a lesser performer, this could have hit a bum note and been an overly sincere lull in proceedings, but these politics are hard-wired into Monáe’s music and so it feels right at home.

The much-anticipated encore came in the form of a marathon version of Come Alive, which is extended well over ten minutes and yet somehow keeps the crowd in a frenzy for the duration. The exception to this is a whisper-quiet middle section where Monáe commands her audience to crouch down and ventures into the centre of the standing area before setting them off like fireworks. It is a sight to behold, a joy to experience and a fitting end to a concert by an artist who is visibly at the top of her game.

-Daniel Shipman

You can find the full MIF19 festival programme here.

Review: No One is Coming to Save You at HOME (Incoming Festival)

No One is Coming to Save You at HOME
No One is Coming to Save You at HOME
Credit: This Noise

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

No One is Coming to Save You is a dark, strange and yet quietly hopeful piece of theatre. It covers one night as experienced by two insomniacs, exploring the unaccountable way that our thoughts behave when we should be asleep but can’t quite seem to get there.

Staged by fledgling theatre company This Noise, the show is performed with surprising charisma by Agatha Elwes and Rudolphe Mdlongwa. Their innate watchability takes an already intriguing script (written by Nathan Ellis) and turns it in to a fascinating thing to watch and listen to. The majority of the show takes the form of two interspersed monologues which aren’t in direct conversation with each other. However, the text is littered with subtle and satisfying echoes of itself.

The staging (Khadija Raza and Alice Simonato) is almost spartan in its simplicity, but this only serves to heighten the sense of existing in a void which might strike those who are awake when the rest of the world is asleep. Similarly, the sound design (Callum Wyles) captures a sense of lingering, non-specific dread without ever imposing itself upon the script or the performance.

The hallucinatory nature of the piece will not be to everyone’s taste, nor will the thoughts of random violence which occasionally pass through the characters heads. However, all of this will strike a chord with anyone who has ever spent sleepless nights with only their own mind for company and been surprised at what they have found there.

-Daniel Shipman

Review: Electrolyte at HOME (Incoming Festival)

Electrolyte at HOME
Electrolyte at HOME
Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating:⭐⭐

Electrolyte is a piece of gig theatre which portrays a severe mental health crisis. Staged with six performers who act as both musicians and actors, the show revolves around Jessie (Olivia Sweeney) and the effect which the death of her parents has had on her mental health and her perception of reality.

All six performers are hugely talented and bring sky-high energy levels to the performance from the very beginning, but the company struggle to convert this into any meaningful connection with their audience. This is potentially because they come in with such high-intensity from the first moment but is also down to the fact that none of the characters ever really display any likeable qualities, and so it is difficult to empathise with them. From the frenetic opening, the show only continues to gain pace until it feels extremely rushed, as though the content was initially made for a two-hour show and then squeezed down to an hour.

This is evidently a well-intentioned approach to getting people to talk about mental health, but this is perhaps the most delicate theme theatre can cover and it fails much more often than it succeeds. The effort is admirable though, and the positive ending is warmly received by an appreciative audience. Electrolyte doesn’t make for an unenjoyable night at the theatre, but it does leave you with a strong feeling of a missed opportunity.

-Daniel Shipman

Review: Girls at HOME (Incoming Festival)

Girls at HOME
Girls at HOME
Credit: The Pappy Show
Reviewer: Rachel Foster
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Girls by The Pappy Show performed in Manchester as part of Incoming Festival, a selection of the best-emerging theatre companies around the UK. The festival is in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The night starts encouragingly with a packed house and a cordial upbeat welcome by smiley cast members who are distinct by the balloons shoved up their t-shirts. Billed as bringing you stories of women aged 17 to 70 it sounds very promising.

However it never really gets off the ground. The opening scene is a song by the cast with an ironic version of ‘I’m a Barbie Girl.’ The enthusiasm and bags of energy is paramount and catching. This is them at their best cohesive and funny. It doesn’t seem to have a thread and seemed to become a series of anarchic skits where it really was unclear what was going on. It certainly has the potential, but for some reason doesn’t quite hit the mark. After a while, the comedy didn’t seem so funny. It was all a little bland with no new ideas or anything that hasn’t been done before on the themes of empowering women.

Everyone seemed to be around the same age (in their twenties) apart from Ursula who frequently pokes fun at herself as none-attractive. Although when she talks about her life growing up in London without a mother this is one of the better moments and gives some depth and seriousness to the show.

One of the actors wears a t-shirt with the name Joe Cox on and initially this has a powerful impact but again this is lost against the ‘crazy’ leaping around, fighting in wedding dresses and singing. They are throughout accompanied by a young woman on keyboards who had an excellent voice but seems slightly disconnected with the rest of the cast. In the end, moments that were meant to be emotional just weren’t and it all became a bit tedious. The Pappy Show need to revamp things before they embark on their next venture.

-Rachel Foster

Review: House of Blakewell: Everything is Absolutely Fine at The Lowry

Everything is Absolutely Fine at The Lowry
Everything is Absolutely Fine at The Lowry
Reviewer: Elise Gallagher
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Everything is Absolutely Fine is a comedy musical centred around a lady called Alice with anxiety. She has recently moved to a new place, started a new job and is struggling to settle into her new community.

This is Alice’s chance to try again, recreate herself, make herself cool and calm. However, she isn’t alone. Her friend Anxiety is with her every step of the way.

It’s a simple set up: two actors, a keyboard and lights. Alice is dressed in a pyjama set, and the third speaking character, ‘Sarah’, is an audience member plucked out with no preparation time – just a sheet of A4. But this simple structure only magnifies the character of the play.

When I saw it was a musical, I only imagined there to be one or two minor songs given the space it was in. Instead, the play boasts power ballads and full-volume show tunes despite its modest makeup. I particularly liked ‘I Have a Bad Feeling About This’.

I especially loved Harry Blake who played the immaculately dressed Anxiety, complete with a blank expression and perfect comic timing (as well as fantastic music ability). Our protagonist, Alice, is played by Alice Keedwell, who also wrote the source material for the play. She’s lovable and vulnerable – expertly displaying a person really struggling with their self-esteem. She also has an absolutely fantastic voice.

Mental health has become a much more prominent notion explored in the creative arts today, nowhere more so than in the theatre. What I really liked about Everything is Absolutely Fine is that it focused on the day-to-day mundane tasks and choices all of us are faced with. It was relatable to every person in the audience.

This gentle and fun play ended with a sing-song. While, usually, audience anticipation like this makes my toes curl, it was a very enjoyable, perfect ending to an uplifting play.

-Elise Gallagher

Review: Bost-Uni Plues at HOME (Incoming Festival)

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

With an ever-increasing percentage of the population going to university, we are overdue some theatre which addresses the various rites of passage in this distinctive period of life. Step forward Ugly Bucket Theatre, a trio of graduates from Liverpool John Moores University who have crafted this exploration of post-uni blues (or Bost-Uni Plues) through the medium of clowning.

Having identified the fact that many people feel underwhelmed, intimidated or just plain lost in graduate life, the company have armed themselves with interviews of recent graduates and pulled laughs and comfort out of the sorrow. The ability to wrestle comedy out of a gloomy subject matter without ever seeming insensitive is an impressive tightrope act. Done badly, this could so easily have stifled the laughter, but it is a credit to the performer’s handling of the subject matter that the audience never felt uncomfortable laughing at what they were seeing and hearing.

The comic potential of each moment isn’t always fully exploited, with some sections taking up time which could have been given over to a wider variety of gags. The exaggerated dances to loud techno music are fun but lose their impact after a while. However, the pace of the show ensures these never linger too long.

The interaction between the live action and the recorded sound effects (provided by sound designer Duncan Gallagher) is ingenious. One interview snippet which could have been particularly sad was rendered utterly hilarious when delivered through an inanimate upright banana alone in a spotlight. (I can’t explain why this works so well, but it is a real highlight of the show and had me in stitches.)

So many elements of Bost-Uni Plues will be painfully recognisable to anyone who has experienced the uni lifestyle, from drunken freshers regret through to the feeling of being cut adrift once it is all over. The true achievement of Ugly Bucket in creating this show is the feeling of comfort that is to be gained knowing that so many other people have felt the exact same way that you do, and that it is possible to come out laughing.

-Daniel Shipman

Catch Ugly Bucket at Edinburgh Fringe 2019 and find out more here.

REVIEW: The Hired man at Oldham Coliseum

The Hired Man at Oldham Coliseum
The Hired Man at Oldham Coliseum
Credit: Mark Sepple
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s some 35 years since The Hired Man was first performed in London’s West End. The year was 1984 and Britain was experiencing high levels of unemployment alongside a long-standing miners’ strike – the show ran for just five months. At this time, West End theatre-goers found comfort in the glitter and escapism of Starlight Express and Cats. They weren’t ready to appreciate the raw, emotive working class sentiment of The Hired Man.

Now in a major new revival by Oldham Coliseum, Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch and Hull Truck, The Hired Man comes to Oldham. Tapping into English folk music and Cumbrian heritage, far removed from the cheesy glitz of the transatlantic musical model, The Hired Man easily shows itself to be one of the most well-crafted British musicals of all time.

Set during the first part of the twentieth century, The Hired Man tells the passionate story of John Tallentire and his wife Emily, a young couple and their enduring struggle to carve out a living from the land. Perhaps most poignantly, The Hired Man is inspired by writer, Melvyn Bragg’s personal account of his grandparent’s tough existence in the Cumbrian fells at the turn of the twentieth century.

Howard Goodall’s tight musical arrangement is handled beautifully by the 11-strong actor-musician ensemble – muted trumpets, folksy fiddles and sweet and soaring vocals. This is a well-paced production – set to the backdrop of farming culture and the harsh work conditions of the Lake District, Act One focuses essentially on the love triangle plot between Emily and her husband John, and her long-standing admirer Jackson. Act Two appears more episodic, with the pace cleverly reflecting the uncertainty of the characters’ futures. Their lives knocked by history – the birth of trade unions, the First World War and mines collapse…it’s stirring, and a sense of impending doom looms.

Under Douglas Rintoul’s dynamic direction, the ensemble are all strong – demonstrating versatility they multi-role, play instruments and move the set – the whole production feels assured and well executed. Lauren Redding gives an outstanding performance as Emily – committed and believable – with a beautiful singing voice which she delivers with the ease of a natural Northern tone.

This is a lively and refreshing Northern musical which offers us an insight into the life of rural communities at the beginning of the twentieth century.

-Kristy Stott

The Hired man runs at Oldham Coliseum until Saturday 6 July 2019.