Reviewer: Sarah Baumber

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

#BeMoreMartyn tells the story of Martyn Hett’s vibrant life before it was tragically cut short in the Manchester Arena bomb attack in 2017. Created from interviews with PR Specialist Martyn’s real-life friends, the verbatim production written by Adam Zane and Mike Lee, is unashamedly honest and at times, hilarious, just like the eponymous hero.

Dick Longdin’s set, seemingly a metaphor of Martyn’s life as his smiling face surrounded the bar area, flanked by Corrie stars and other formidable divas, remained simple and allowed for intimacy with the convincing cast throughout. They worked hard to help us get to know a bit about Martyn; how he lived his days (and nights), his power to influence and ignite others; the quirks his loved ones recalled joyfully and the traits they recalled in a less positive manner.

The whole cast did an incredible job of creating a genuine and personal story – at times it was difficult to remember they were actors. I especially enjoyed Calum Scott’s ‘Alastair,’ and the vulnerability he brought to the role but each cast member provided a different perspective of Martyn, without idealising him. Indeed, it was the unabashed honesty, alongside the snippets of actual video footage, the uplifting pop songs and of course the plentiful Manchester specific references, that prevented the production from being overly sentimental – something I had worried needlessly about beforehand. Did I shed a tear? A few, but not all of sadness…most were Audrey Roberts related in fact.

All in all, a triumphant and poignant celebration of friendship and remembrance, told through the tragic lens of loss, I left the theatre reflecting not on the events of a terrorist attack, not on the personal losses of those who were sharing their stories, or even the sadness of a young man having his life curtailed senselessly. I left feeling optimistic and grateful for the Martyns and all the other characters I have in my life. Feeling like perhaps even little old me could #BeMoreMartyn moving forward. And from what I’ve just learned about him, I cannot imagine there’s anything he would love more than having his own production and a cast of actors living out his Eurovision parties on stage.

An iconic night out.

-Sarah Baumber

Find out more about Hope Theatre Company’s work here.

 

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Taking place on midsummer’s eve, August Strindberg’s Miss Julie shows us a brief, tempestuous affair between the titular character and her father’s valet. This production, by the Durham-based Elysium Theatre Company, keeps things simple and focused on the complex subtext of Strindberg’s work (here in a proficient translation by Michael Meyer).

The power dynamic between the two main characters is the most fascinating aspect of the play, and it is rendered well here by Danny Solomon and Alice Frankham. The sexual chemistry which bubbles subtly but certainly under the surface of their early interactions is especially impressive to watch and makes it easy to see why the play was so controversial upon its premiere in 1888. However, both actors have moments where they run the risk of betraying the naturalism of the play and descending into melodramatic hysterics at times towards the end.

The two are well supported by Lois Mackie as Christine, who makes the most of her short time on stage and wields her knowledge as power when the events of the play thrust it upon her.

When writing Miss Julie, Strindberg strived to encapsulate the three pillars of naturalism on stage, which dictate that the events of a naturalistic play should be realistic, meaningful and simple. Whilst he undoubtedly achieved this, one might question how exciting these qualities are for an audience.

This production is a competent interpretation of a play which was undoubtedly a landmark for European drama. It risks leaning on the historical significance of the text to entertain the audience rather doing so of its own accord, but it digs convincingly into the psychology of the characters and this saves it from being a complete washout.

-Daniel Shipman

Miss Julie runs at Hope Mill Theatre until Saturday 22 June 2019.

Reviewer: Ciaran Ward

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

While elite universities like Oxford and Cambridge continue to revolutionise the parameters of their Widening Participation criteria, Trafalgar Theatre Productions’ and Simon Friend Entertainment’s Admissions deftly handles the subject of educational inequality by examining the repercussions such change has on the overprivileged.

Concluding a tour that began in London’s Trafalgar Studios, this subversive and exposing production follows Alex Kingston’s Sherri, a no-nonsense admissions tutor at a prestigious private school, seemingly determined to improve Widening Participation figures through any means possible. Though this premise seems to define the play, her desire to support minorities is soon undermined when her son, Charles (Ben Edelman) fails to gain entrance into Yale University. Soon the American Dream for equal opportunity is interrogated by all characters, revealing the mixed attitudes that the upper echelons of American society hold towards this dream.

Though Joshua Harmon’s script initiates this conflict, Daniel Aukin’s direction effectively sustains the uncomfortable tension throughout, helping Kingston to excel in a role that demands her to be torn between professional integrity and maternal duty. Likewise, Edelman astounds in a five-minute polemic attacking the Widening Participation practices that displace the authority of rich, white men in society, eliciting uneasy feelings of pity and revulsion in the audience which are never fully resolved. Margot Leicester’s Roberta, Sarah Hadland’s Ginnie, and Andrew Woodall’s Bill, all help the play to intersect with the broader questions of ethnicity, class, and education through their individually tormented performances.

Whilst Paul Wills’ set design overtly displays an open-planned kitchen and dining area throughout the play, Oliver Fenwick’s lighting design aids its seamless transformation into Sherri’s office whenever the plot requires. Scenes deceptively represent Sherri sitting at her dining table, before it becomes apparent that she has been transported to her office at school. The play’s aesthetic, therefore, not only helps to blur the boundaries of Sherri’s domestic and professional lives but emphasizes the dramatic repercussions that her work has on her ambitions for her son’s future.

A play that exploits the perspective of the upper middle classes may appear to be critical of the self-serving motives of the overprivileged in contemporary American society. However, over its one hour, forty-minute runtime, the play addresses the mixed responses held towards Widening Participation practices and assesses the role of the White Saviour in a fundamentally ambivalent vein. As such, Admissions presents itself as an objective and unbiased commentator on a topical issue that continues to haunt the academic world.

-Ciaran Ward

Admissions runs at The Lowry until Saturday 22 June 2019.

Reviewer: Megan Hyland

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Harriet Madeley’s The Listening Room is a powerful piece centred around five people whose lives have been affected by violent crime – either as the victim or the perpetrator. Based on four interviews conducted by Madeley, we follow the stories of those who decided to meet the person on the other side of the trial through restorative justice.

The play stars Archie Backhouse, Bruce Kitchener, Mark Knightley, Harriet Madeley and Cathy Tyson. However, there are no respective roles assigned to the actors. Instead, you – the audience – get to decide who the roles will be assigned to, making every performance unique and bringing an unexpected element of fluidity. It may sound like an odd choice that leaves plenty of room for things to go wrong, but, as a creative choice it adds so much more depth to the piece and each actor adopts their role with ease. By making the roles more fluid, the audience is reminded that the actors are interchangeable. It doesn’t matter who the roles are being played by because they are only temporarily channeling the voices of these people and their stories. The simplistic staging, uniformity of the costumes and interchangeable nature of the acting roles reminds the audience that what matters most are the words – and they are poignant enough on their own.

That is not to say, however, that each actor doesn’t commit to their role. Although you never hear the audio from the interviews, a quick YouTube search of the names of the interviewees reveals the accuracy with which the actors present them. Every characteristic pause, tone of voice, accent and intonation is translated perfectly. They manage to bring the interviewees to life in such a way that their presence is truly felt on stage, without making it feel as though they’re doing a cheap impression.  Their performances truly embody the stories of the interviewees without glamorising or exaggerating, and the raw emotion that they exude truly takes the air from the room.

Although the stories of the interviewees are unconnected, the way that Madeley and director Max Barton have arranged the piece reminds the audience that they represent a commonality. Each narrative is laid out side-by-side, and follows the same pattern of emotion, reminding us that these are mere examples of many other similar stories out there. However, as Madeley herself said in the Q & A session, this is not a propaganda piece around restorative justice. Of course, restorative justice is the focus, but this piece does not take sides. The stories of the perpetrators are heard alongside the victims, giving equal time to both and neither excusing nor condemning the perpetrators. It simply lays down the stories of the interviewees as they experienced them, in their own words, and Barton’s brilliant direction allows the audience to feel the presence of the interviewees on the stage, without veering into any dramatic re-enactments or cheesy flashbacks. What we have are simply actors telling stories, reminding us that there is nothing more powerful than talking.

-Megan Hyland
The Listening Room runs at The Lowry until Saturday 15 June.

Reviewer: Elise Gallagher

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐

What Old Tools > New Masters ≠ New Futures promises is an alternative gallery walking tour. Each performance tasks the audience to question, celebrate and shed light on collective histories and the stories we are told and tell.

The performance begins at the gallery’s entrance hall where you’re asked to choose a wristband from one of the three people stood at the foot of the stairs. I opt for a wristband given to me by a woman dressed in an acrylic red boiler suit, silver paint dotted and sliced across her face.

From here the company addresses the audience before separating into three groups. My gallery tour takes us from the entrance hall, up the stairs to the Exhibitions room before threading around the Nineteenth Century rooms. These three tours are all going on at the same time. One tour opened with riot-like banging, screaming and crashing, whilst mine opened with a disgruntled cleaner and broom dance.

I felt the tour I was on was strong. Made up of a combination of Contact Young Company and Young Identity, the tour was led by two brilliant and bold women, wearing matching red boiler suits and awash with glitter and paint. The poems delivered in the Nineteenth Century rooms were beautiful and chilling.

(But) Deliberately or not, due to the nature of the gallery (admittedly though a fantastic choice of venue), the sound bled through to other rooms. When tours passed one another you couldn’t help but think if their tour was stronger than the one that you were on. And at £20 a ticket I don’t think you should be thinking that.

At the end of the tour, all three groups gathered at the information desk, but instead of a crescendo or conclusion to wrap up the experience, four young male performers from across the tours delivered a rap. Performed incredibly enthusiastically, issues with the microphone or volume meant their words were distorted and muffled, and it didn’t share the tone of the rest of the evening’s performances. In a way, it counteracted what we had just experienced in the gallery rooms, which was a shame.

What Old Tools > New Masters ≠ New Futures holds is a really promising concept, but it lacked the consistency, fluidity and momentum in practice to drive its message home.

-Elise Gallagher

Old Tools > New Masters ≠ New Futures runs at Manchester Art Gallery until Sunday 16 June 2019.

 

Reviewer: Rachael Hankinson

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A beautiful reinterpretation of the Shakespearean classic. Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at The Lowry modernises the tale of doomed love for a new audience.

Predominantly centring around the theme of mental health, as well as featuring themes of sexual violence, and the trauma and persecution of youth. Bourne’s reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet tells a fully engaging story that puts the young inmates of the Verona Institute against the tyrannical staff, whilst still featuring the key aspects of Shakespeare’s story, such as the iconic balcony scene that is still ingeniously included and beautifully portrayed by Paris Fitzpatrick (Romeo) and Cordelia Braithwaite (Juliet) – whose performances where both outstanding from start to finish. Other notable performances were those of Reece Causton (Mercutio) and Jackson Fisch (Balthasar), who not only portray the characters well but also explore a new and interesting side to the characters.

Due to Bourne’s wonderful direction and beautiful choreography, the production is extremely easy to understand. Which is impressive considering that the whole production contains no dialogue and relies on the cast to tell the story and convey the emotions purely through movement and facial expression, which is achieved due to an extremely talented and resilient cast of young performers.

This production boasts the stunning set design and costumes of Lez Brotherston – with the set design bringing the institute to life and giving it an imposing atmosphere; the costumes beautifully supported the gracefulness of the performers’ movements while also indicating who the members of the cast were portraying.

Romeo and Juliet is beautifully accompanied by the stunning musical score of Sergei Prokofiev, who expertly blends classical music with aspects of Edvard Grieg and hints of Leonard Bernstein to create a wonderfully expressive and emotional dynamic within the production.

Capturing the essence of the original story, and receiving a standing ovation from the audience, Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet is an enjoyable, interesting take on the age-old story with some innovative twists along the way. Unmissable.

-Rachael Hankinson

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet runs at The Lowry until Saturday 15 June 2019.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating:⭐⭐⭐

The Royal Exchange’s latest offering is an adaptation of Harold Brighouse’s 1916 play Hobson’s Choice, with the action updated from Victorian-era Salford to Ancoats in the 1980s. This adaptation by Tanika Gupta centres on a Ugandan-Asian family, which broadens the thematic reach of the play to touch on modern issues such as the integration of refugees, as well as the original core themes of class, family and success.

The plot revolves around Hari Hobson who exploits the free labour of his three daughters in the family tailor business whilst he frequents the local pub. His eldest daughter Durga, upon being told by her father that she is too old to marry, sets in motion a plan which sees the three daughters free of their father and married to the man of their choosing.

The main problem with this production is that each scene runs on FAR too long. The play could easily shave 30 minutes from its running time without losing any actual content – most conversations seem to address the same topic two or three times. Despite the valiant efforts of a talented cast, this makes the pacing impossibly slow and limits how enjoyable the evening can be.

The cast put in some strong comic performances, but the production as a whole seems to swerve the dramatic heart of the play in favour of the comedic. This makes for a few awkward tonal shifts where otherwise loveable characters perform cruel acts seemingly out of the blue. Shalini Peiris is a particular highlight as Durga Hobson, providing an impressively composed centre for the more comic characters to revolve around.

Designed by Rosa Maggiora, the set keeps things simple yet colourful and establishes the changing setting efficiently. A portrait of Ted Heath descending from the ceiling makes for a strong visual gag which lands well with the audience, who are kept laughing for the majority of the evening.

The sum of all this means that the bittersweet conclusion of the play – a chronically alcoholic Hobson being manipulated into a business deal by a newly successful Durga – feels more brutal than it was perhaps intended to be. An enjoyable evening then, but one which lacks in substance where it doesn’t need to.

-Daniel Shipman

Hobson’s Choice runs at the Royal Exchange until 6 July 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Running at just 60 minutes long, Silent Lines is a beautifully seductive experience which bears all of the hallmarks of British choreographer Russell Maliphant’s visually rich style. A cast of five performers twist and drop, spin and shift, with athletic fluidity, to an ethereal and at times, tribal beat. The result is hauntingly hypnotic.

Since its creation in 1996, the Russell Maliphant Company has received two Olivier awards, two South Bank Show awards and three Critics’ Circle National Dance awards for best modern choreography, amongst many other international awards and nominations.

Silent Lines draws on Russell Maliphant’s extensive research and exploration of dance and anatomy. Favouring abstract originality over traditional narrative storytelling, his choreography borrows slices of movement from a range of genres, from classical ballet to capoeira and breakdancing. Blending highly original movement with often shadowy lighting, and animated video projection by Panagiotis Tomaras, Silent Lines seeks to explore and celebrate the range of poetic possibilities that can be expressed through movement.

At times the performers appear almost like holograms or ghost-like. Muscular, agile and graceful – they are truly beautiful to watch. In a stunning solo, Grace Jabbari billows, swirls and shifts, as light as air; Edd Arnold and Alethia Antonia are equally as mesmerising throughout their solos, fluid and sensual, and Moronfoluwa Odimayo and Will Thompson complete the dreamlike, and utterly compelling, ensemble.

The title, Silent Lines, leaves itself open to the audience’s interpretation – Maliphant doesn’t believe in spoon-feeding his audience ideas on how they should react to his work. However, whether you’re a contemporary-dance-curious newcomer or a die-hard fan of Maliphant’s exquisite vision and choreography, Silent Lines is a beautifully serene though sharply executed performance.

-Kristy Stott

Silent Lines will play at Wycombe Swan on 1 June 2019. For further tour dates please click here.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sometimes the obvious jokes are the best ones. So it is with the titular pun of Drag Becomes Her, a drag spoof of the cult 90s film Death Becomes Her.

Replete with in-jokes and references to Drag Race herstory, this show leans just as heavily on a grounding in drag culture as it does on the film it parodies. This comedic variety helps ensure that it doesn’t become one note, although some of the Drag Race references are lazy attempts to get laughs or cheers by merely mentioning something/someone that the audience will recognise.

The show has little to offer people who aren’t already reasonably familiar with Drag Race or Death Becomes Her. This isn’t a criticism; the show is patently not intended as an introduction to drag, and the vast majority of the audience will have been motivated to buy tickets by the two star names of BenDeLaCreme and Jinx Monsoon.

Manchester’s own Donna Trump more than holds her own against the bigger names here. She rightfully receives some of the biggest laughs of the night but also gets handed the biggest misstep in the form of a misguided Anna Nicole Smith impersonation.

The show has more than its fair share of corpsing, ad-libbing and missed cues, but this is all part of the fun. The amount of talent on stage ensures that anything which might have been an awkward moment in lesser hands is exploited for full comic potential.

Despite its flaws, you can tell the performers genuinely enjoy being in this show, and that joy soon becomes infectious. By the end of the show, the audience are on their feet and the affection between those on and off stage is tangible.

-Daniel Shipman

Drag Become Her runs at HOME Manchester until Saturday 11 May.

Guest Reviewer: Gillian Potter-Merrigan

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transplanting a Shakespeare to a more modern timeframe is always a task fraught with difficulty; will the jokes translate, will the themes remain intact and will the overall storyline hold up to such a move. I am happy to say that the Northern Broadsides and the New Vic’s touring production of Much Ado About Nothing at The Lowry manages to tick all three boxes.

Moving the action to the end of the Second World War provides the audience with a reference point we are all familiar with and evolving the watchmen into a Dad’s Army evokes a well-loved comedy routine. The sergeant played with the right touch of camp with an ever-present string bag of provisions, the Pike-esque character and the right amount of pomposity from David Nellist in the role of the head of the unit, Dogberry.

As we have come to expect from Shakespeare there are two plots running during the play; Sarah Kameela Impey as Hero and Linford Johnson as Claudio are the more innocent lovers, swept along in the machinations of others. The second concerns the sparing and reluctant to admit it loves of fiercely independent Land Army girl Beatrice played by Isobel Middleton and RAF pilot Benedick played by Robin Simpson. Both plots are interwoven nicely whilst still standing on their own and as usual both conclude in a satisfactory manner; the aaaah from the audience when Beatrice and Benedick finally declare their love is a testament to how well these two parts are played. Robin Simpson especially excels in the comedic side of his role and the scene in the orchard is a tour de force in timing and the use of one of Shakespeare’s most loved comedic devices, the aside.

The play is long running at 185 minutes (including an interval) but for all that the pace fairly rattles along with the sharp and witty dialogue of Shakespeare a joy to listen to. It may be Shakespeare but thanks to the ensemble cast and their excellent interpretation it could not be described as stuffy, taking the audience from high comedy to moments of dramatic tension in minutes. The design by Lis Evans along with the direction from Conrad Nelson also helps to update the play to a familiar territory well used by drama writers and the production is to be commended for their full use of the music of the day to plant this production firmly in the era.

-Gillian Potter-Merrigan

Much Ado About Nothing runs at The Lowry until Saturday 11 May.