Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Light Falls is Sarah Frankcom’s swan song as artistic director at the Royal Exchange. And what a moving and beautifully crafted performance to leave on. Light Falls is one of the best performances I have ever seen at the Royal Exchange and the most perfect work to bow out on.

Written by Simon Stephens, who fittingly was the first writer that Frankcom commissioned when she became literary manager at the theatre, Light Falls is an intense study of a family who are drawn back together following a single and unpredictable tragedy.

The concepts explored are simple and universal; the play blends ideas of family, closeness, connection with individualism, community, those things that pull us closer together and the stuff that pushes us further apart. Most people will be able to relate and that is the foundation of the play’s appeal.

We are introduced to a series of characters who are at different points in their lives; all are connected as members of the same family. The play opens with a monologue from the mother, Christine, played by Rebecca Manley, who despite riding the wagon for the past nine months, embarks on a mission to pick up a bottle of vodka from her local Co-Op. Sadly and unpredictably, while doing so, she suffers a fatal brain-hemorrhage. We are privy to her thoughts in her moment of death as she worries about her children and what they are doing at that exact time. Remaining on stage throughout, she keeps a kind-hearted, ghostly watch over her husband and three children. It’s a clever conceit which is handled perfectly throughout, through both the direction and individual performances; Stephens writes from the heart – lyrically with a healthy dose of wit.

Rebecca Manley gives a strong performance – a calm though passionate maternal figure – from her opening monologue through to her appearances as other characters and apparitions. Dressed in a woolen blue coat, she seems to represent beliefs around after-life, how we deal with grief and the love that survives us when we are gone. All of the cast shine, with particular stand-out performances from Katie West as daughter Ashe – struggling with her own mental health, trying to bring her son up on her own; Christine’s husband, played by Lloyd Hutchinson, who is randomly trying to arrange a hotel threesome as his wife reaches for the vodka, and David Moorst as youngest sibling, law-student Steven who is joyful to be reunited with his boyfriend, who works for an airline.

The whole performance is bound together by music from Jarvis Cocker. It’s actually just one song, ‘Hymn of the North’ which pops up frequently throughout the play. It’s a bit like a warm, comfort blanket that weaves itself into the performance.

Light Falls is a wholly satisfying, uplifting and unmissable performance. Definitely recommend.

-Kristy Stott

Light Falls runs at the Royal Exchange until 16 November 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True is a gripping all-female three-hander examining the 1612 trial of Agostino Tassi, who was accused of rape by the talented artist Artemisia Gentileschi, who was allegedly only 15 when the attack happened.

Based on the original period transcripts from the trial, which have been translated from Italian and Latin, the cast speak in modern-day language. Gripping and charged, this is a courtroom drama that roars with feminist rage. Intelligently, this production awakens the events of a real-life 17th-century rape trial, and in doing so, exposes just how little society has changed over 400 years.

Always pushing boundaries and helping their audiences view the world differently, Breach Theatre are innovative, bright and refreshing theatre-makers. It’s True, It’s True, It’s True is performed by Kathryn Bond, Sophie Steer and Ellice Stevens. Wearing men’s attire, collars and cuffs, they give committed, passionate, and measured performances. The courtroom narrative is delivered in relay and interwoven with animated descriptions of some of Gentileschi’s paintings. Truly fascinating for a contemporary audience is the way that Gentileschi reflected her experience – the horror of her ordeal and her appetite for revenge – into her artwork.

The darkness is interspersed with moments of humour too. Tassi is laughable, a leering sleazy pest; archaic views of female sexuality become a great source of laughter for the audience. This is a remarkable and timely performance, a gripping and emotive narrative, which resonates powerfully – with a 21st-century audience – following the #MeToo movement.

Reviewer: Ciaran Ward

Upstaged rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Following the relatively positive openings of As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew at The Lowry last week, the Royal Shakespeare Company introduces Measure to Measure as the final instalment in their national tour of three Shakespeare plays. Under the capable direction of Gregory Doran – incumbent Artistic Director of the RSC – this production adeptly traverses the conflicting genres of the original problem play. Intertwining ribald comedy with a morality tale is no easy feat, yet an outstanding cast and creative team reinforce this thought-provoking and immersive experience for all to enjoy.

From the play’s exposition, Anthony Byrne dominates the stage as the duplicitous Duke of Vienna. While the character is renowned for his manipulative and coercive actions, Byrne injects the Duke with an unnerving amiable quality that accentuates his ability to effortlessly deceive those around him. Lucy Phelps, in an angst-ridden performance as Isabella, captures the raw desperation of a novice nun pressured into saving her brother Claudio (James Cooney) at the expense of her chastity. However, Sandy Grierson’s portrayal of Angelo, whilst overtly antagonistic, fails to express the sexual passion (for Isabella) that is central to the character’s moral and political corruption.

Achieved through a series of detailed projected images, set designer Stephen Brimson Lewis transports the audience through the morally ambivalent city of Vienna. Whether in Mistress Overdone’s (Graeme Brooke) dingy brothel, or Isabella’s pure nunnery, Lewis utilises a backdrop of distorted mirrors as a medium through which to parallel the distorted ethics of the city’s inhabitants. Lighting designer Simon Spencer also succeeds in illuminating scenes set in the prison, where iron bars cast a great shadow over Claudio and haunt him as he anticipates his forthcoming execution. Likewise, the vibrant orchestral score, directed live by Lindsey Miller, not only conveys the diverse and frantic energy of the city but emphasises the high production values of the entire performance.

While the RSC’s production of The Taming of the Shrew reimagines Elizabethan England as a matriarchal society, this play does not shy away from emphasising the dark sexual politics which pervade Vienna. This performance, therefore, excels as an authentic reproduction of Shakespeare’s’ original text, but ultimately fails to deliver the ‘electrifying’ spark that the RSC promises this tour possesses. However, given that the majority of the cast and crew are concurrently working on at least one of the other two plays, they are to be commended for the vigour they have graced this production with.

-Ciaran Ward

Measure for Measure runs at The Lowry, Salford until Saturday 5 October 2019.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

As You Like It has much in common with Shakespeare’s other comedies – gender-swapped disguises, a forest setting and a happy ending that verges on pantomime. Directed by Kimberley Sykes, this production relies heavily on the strength of the cast but other aspects fail to live up to the same standard. The performances thrive in spite of the direction rather than because of it.

The comedic energy is uniformly excellent, there isn’t a single weak link in the chain. The chemistry between Rosalind (Lucy Phelps) and Celia (Sophie Khan Levy) is stunningly well realised, and their giddy excitement is infectious and convincing.

Touchstone (Andy Grierson) manages the impressive feat of engaging the audience without feeling gimmicky. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the general direction and design. The decision to raise the house lights at seemingly random intervals only serves to interfere with the flow of the performance, and destroy the already slim amounts of atmosphere that has been conjured.

The presence of an onstage band is initially intriguing but is soon revealed to be totally redundant. There are a number of songs in the play and the players provide an impressive accompaniment to them, but they spend the vast majority of the performance just sitting still watching the play from behind.

The setting of the Forest of Arden is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and provides a plethora of opportunities for designers to sink their teeth in to. This makes it all the more disappointing that the pastoral setting is rarely even hinted at, let alone captured evocatively. Instead, the stage is mainly bare throughout the plot, until a deeply impressive but ambiguous puppet emerges to deliver a monologue at the play’s climax.

The bare stage hints at Shakespeare’s famous ‘all the world’s a stage’ speech. Whilst this is a conceptually sound interpretation of the play, it is an overly cerebral reading and stifles the fun of what could have been a hilarious few hours at the theatre.

-Daniel Shipman

As You Like It runs at The Lowry until Saturday 5 October 2019.

Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Macbeth is a top tier Shakespearean classic. Countless phrases from the script have worked their way into everyday English usage, and images such as the three witches around their cauldron or the sleeping Lady Macbeth rubbing blood from her hands are deeply ingrained in modern British culture. In short, it is not a safe bet for the Royal Exchange to be opening their Winter 2019 season with.

Thankfully, this production receives stunning direction from Christopher Haydon and, crucially, Lucy Ellinson is magnificent as Macbeth. The gender-blind casting is an inspired choice. In an era when this is becoming increasingly popular, Ellinson as Macbeth and Alexandra Mathie as Duncan lends a newfound emotional depth to some of the most poignant scenes.

There are too many stellar performances to mention by name here, but Ony Uhiara as Lady Macbeth is a particular highlight. I only wish that Shakespeare had given her more stage time so we had been able to witness more of the devious manipulation, followed by her slow descent into madness.

Rachel Denning provides an excellent delivery of the Porter’s speech, which is here rewritten by Chris Thorpe. This stands out for its contemporary references but provides welcome comic relief in exactly the way it was originally intended to.

The production is sometimes slightly on the nose with the modern war setting. It hammers this point home at the opening of the first act which makes for an overly abrasive start to the production, but the Witches soon remedy this and set the production on the right track once the dialogue starts.

The design is slick and cohesive, with the sound design by Elena Peña providing an especially intense accompaniment to the events of the play. The more notable soliloquies are subject to echo and electronic manipulation, and at its finest moments, this technique pushes the language into exciting new territory as if you are hearing it again for the first time.

The performances alone are worth the ticket price, but Haydon and his team have created a sinister world for these characters which is a creepy joy to experience.

-Daniel Shipman

Macbeth runs at the Royal Exchange until 19 October 2019.

Red Dust Road at HOME. Image courtesy of The Other Richard.

Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Upstaged Reviewer: Daniel Shipman

Adapted from the memoirs of Jackie Kay by Tanika Gupta, Red Dust Road roams from Kay’s upbringing in Scotland to her first meeting with her father in Nigeria.

The staging is simple, taking place in front of a large picture frame which is moulded in to a tree trunk in one corner. The implication is that the pluralism of Kay’s Scottish and Nigerian identities is ever present throughout her life, but this is conveyed more than adequately through the script which renders the set-piece redundant.

Gupta’s adaptation does away with chronology yet still manages to retain a distinct sense of temporal identity for each distinct phase of Kay’s life. From the shy uncertainty of her school years through to the confidence and strength of her later life, Red Dust Road revolves around the identities which follow Kay through her life, whether they are adopted by her or forced upon her.

Taking the central role of Kay herself, Sasha Frost is excellent. She has to be, as she is on stage for pretty much the entire show, and many of the other characters verge on caricatures at times. The task of embodying Kay at a variety of ages and identities must be a daunting task for an actor, but Frost pulls this off seemingly with ease.

There is, however, one crucial problem with the production as a whole. Whilst it convincingly conveys the facts of Kay’s life, I never once felt any emotional engagement with the events portrayed. This is not for lack of content – growing up as an adopted black child in Scotland through the 1970s must have been incredibly difficult, but this adaptation of Red Dust Road fails to communicate the emotions it would have brought up, or the effect that these had on Kay as she matured.

The show is worth watching for the convincing rendering of Kay’s life but, strangely for a show about a poet, it falls short of ever achieving real poetry.

-Daniel Shipman

Red Dust Road runs at HOME until 21 September 2019.

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.

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.

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.

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.