The Ancient Secret of Youth and the Five Tibetans @ Bolton Octagon 05.05.15

It's always a pleasure to be at a world premiere of a new play - well, the press night at least - especially when it is written by Jim Cartwright. I recently enjoyed a revival of his 1993 work The Rise & Fall of Little Voice, so I was very much looking forward to The Ancient Secret of Youth and the Five Tibetans, directed here by David Thacker.

Ancient Youth is about three old university friends Penny (Denise Welch/Lauren Drummond), Doug (Tom Mannion/Matt Tait) and Henry (Eric Potts), who are celebrating Penny's 57th birthday. But while Henry has accepted age gracefully - and even finds the process enjoyable - Doug and Penny (who are married) have not: Doug is drinking himself into denial while Penny is planning on having plastic surgery.

All that changes though when a joke present from Henry - a book on ancient tibetan techniques for reversing the ageing process - sends Penny and Doug on a strange path into the past, their youth and vigour suddenly restored. They say youth is wasted on the young - but now that the old have it, will they use it wisely?

While that might sound like quite a different story from Little Voice, some key elements are the same. Both plays deal with thwarted ambition: the characters in Little Voice yearn for fame, in Ancient Youth for, well, youth; both plays feature an angry, exploitative and unlikeable male character at their core; and both pit two forceful personalities against a quieter third.

However, whereas Little Voice felt very tightly written, Ancient Youth does not. The characters, particularly Penny and Doug, have long rants at one another that, while entertaining, are very wordy and a bit unbelievable. The story also unfolds less smoothly, jumping from one tragic situation to another very quickly.

What is similar though is Cartwright's humour, with Ancient Youth featuring lots of great lines, as when Penny proclaims she has used so much vanishing cream she's surprised she's still visible. And, while it isn't perfect, the play does deal with the issue of ageing in an interesting and unusual way by having the characters actually become their younger selves.

As to the acting, Tom Mannion did a good job of being thoroughly dislikable as Doug, while Denise Welch successfully showed Penny's softer side. The real stand out though was Eric Potts as Henry; a perfect piece of casting, Potts perfectly embodied Henry's Winne-the-Pooh disposition, and was generally a bit of a show-stealer.

Thacker's easy-paced direction was appropriate, and as with so many Octagon productions good use was made of the upstage area - this time as Henry's bookshop, from which he narrates the piece.

Ancient Youth is based on a really good idea, and has some great dialogue, but isn't quite as sharp as it could have been - especially when compared to Cartwright's other work like Little Voice.

Words: Andrew Anderson

Images: Ian Tilton

A View From The Bridge @ Bolton Octagon, 16.01.14

A View From The Bridge, by Arthur Miller, is all about the destructive power of that oldest and ugliest of emotions: jealousy. Centred around Eddie Carbone (Colin Connor), his wife Beatrice (Barbara Drenna) and their niece Catherine (Natasha Davidson), the story takes place along the shores of the East River in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge.

There is plenty of mirth in Miller's play, especially in the opening act where the family kid each other in an atmosphere of contentment. But this is not the perfect cookie-cut American family by any means, and once Beatrice's relatives from Italy arrive hidden feelings begin to creep out, like cockroaches from behind seemingly pristine wallpaper. Eddie is jealous of Catherine's interest in the newly arrived Rodolpho (Tristan Brooke), and once that indecent dynamic is established the play careens towards its inevitable and unhappy conclusion.

Some of the cast were familiar from recent Octagon performances and, like in those, here they delivered work of very high standard. Connor as patriarch Eddie managed to take us on his difficult journey without being overblown, while Drennan as his wife showed suitable levels of nervous stress. The accents, be they Italian or American, were pretty much spot on, which is always a relief for the audience and a considerable achievement for the actors.

Building up momentum as it goes, it is easy to see why this particular Miller play is held in such high regard and why the Bolton Octagon has put it on. Much has been made of director David Thacker's connection to Miller, and his assured hand delivered a performance that was visually interesting, emotionally engaging and a credit to his friend's play.

In some ways the story seems dated, with the female characters being expected to bow before patriarchal pressure. But while that might not be the way in most households, there are still many women whose choices are taken away by overbearing male figures, and this play is a reminder that while western society has come along way it is not a rising tide that has raised all boats. A strong start to 2015 for the Octagon.

Words: Andrew Anderson

Images: Ian Tilton

Early One Morning @ Bolton Octagon, 09.10.14

Early One Morning, from writer Les Smith, tells the tale of a boy from Bolton who was shot for desertion during the first world war. Put like this it sounds simple, but beyond these bare facts lies a complicated and complex story...

...Private James Smith (Michael Shelford) is a broken soldier who can no longer cope with the constant bombardment of bombs, orders and trauma. In desperation he tries to walk back to Bolton only to be caught, courtmartialed and sentenced to be shot at dawn. His comrades are asked to organise and carry out the killing, causing them to question the morality and sanity of their situation. Meticulously researched and poignantly provoking, Smith's script - first performed in 1998 - cuts back and forth between Bolton and Passchendaele, providing a desperate glimpse of what life for a WW1 soldier was like.

The cast showed class in dealing with this serious and sensitive material, drawing out emotional performances without straying into sentimentality. As Private Smith Michael Shelford successfully captured the essence of a man facing his own mortality, moving this reviewer to tears at the show's end. Colin Connor, in the role of Sergeant Fielding, brilliantly expressed the strain of giving out difficult orders, his voice full of cracked emotion, while Jessica Baglow was warm, gentle and engaging as Smith's sweetheart Lizzie Cartwright.

With this play Director David Thacker demonstrates once again why he is so well regarded, creating a controlled framework in which the chaos of war could be shown. His decision to make the set out of actual mud, and to split the action over multiple levels in the theatre, brought the audience right into the trenches with the actors. Jason Taylor's clever lighting created spaces within spaces, the wonderful period costumes from Mary Horan added further authenticity, while the demonic rumbling of Andy Smith's soundscape provided a disturbing undercurrent; this was a production team working in harmony to create something special.

Early One Morning exposes the meaningless, blistering, brutal destruction of war, where humans are pulled apart into ligaments and bones, where all sense of whole, all sense of humanity, is lost. We need theatre like this to show us the mistakes of our collective past, and to remind us that such horror must never be repeated.

Words: Andrew Anderson

Images: Ian Tilton

This May Hurt A Bit @ Bolton Octagon, 01.04.14

The National Health Service, a subject close to many people’s hearts, is explored incisively in Stella Feehily’s powerful polemic play This May Hurt A Bit. From 1948 until the current day coalition-led “re-organisation” of the NHS, we are taken on a rollercoaster of a socio-historical journey, unexpectedly meeting significant political players who argue the case for the necessity of the NHS along the way.

The play, directed by Max Stafford-Clark, is deeply political, but at the same time highly entertaining with witty and sharp dialogue. The packed house roared with laughter at brilliantly realised patients, relatives and the NHS staff. We met doctors, paramedics, nursing staff and patients who are all trying to make sense of governmental policies, whilst making do with limited resources because of cuts and closures. Comparisons are made with the healthcare system of the United States, making us aware that this might be the way we are headed.
Iris (Stephanie Cole) is intelligent and humorous in dealing with Mariel, her oblivious Tory daughter, and Mariel’s obnoxious husband Hank (William Hope). The overworked struggling nurse Gina (Natalie Klamar) had dreamed all her life of working for the NHS, but the reality is a nightmare. Yet she does her best to tend to the sick patients, keep up their good spirits (as well as her own) and adhere to hospital protocol, rules and regulations.

The social conscience play is especially moving when we think on the state of the NHS today, and the ruthless management by the current and previous governments with their diabolical decisions to use Private Finance Initiative (PFI) that has created crippling debt. Arguments about austerity do not hold up when we think on how when the NHS was first established; the country was financially challenged, yet the welfare of the sick was given priority. We witness scathing criticism of the reforms and re-organisation that begin every time a new government arrives, yet there is no positive narrative behind their botched plans. Reorganisation is a diversion, not a solution.

Surreal and humorous moments in the play, with the unexpected appearance of famous figures, as well as personification of the NHS, are juxtaposed with the serious message we must all take home: The NHS has lost its way, and young and old must challenge the callous government to save it.

If you don’t catch it at Bolton Octagon, the play is touring, so go see it. Tour dates can be found on their website: www.outofjoint.co.uk/prods/this-may-hurt-a-bit-dates-booking.html

Words: Sadia Habib

Images: John Haynes

Hobson's Choice @ Bolton Octagon, 06.02.2014

I once watched a fantastic culturally-specific adaptation of Hobson’s Choice in London a few years ago, which was set in an Indian clothes shop and portrayed by an Asian cast. I didn’t think I would get to watch an equal or better version...and yet, last week in Bolton, I did.

In this Octagon version, as the audience are seating themselves, we see the lasses busy beavering away in the magnificent set of a traditional 1880s shoe shop with its mahogany counters and shoe displays. Soon we meet the forthright and assertive Maggie Hobson (Natalie Grady), the eldest daughter in the Hobson family. She is plain-speaking and no-nonsense as she derides the process of courting, comparing it to a fancy slipper: “all glitter and no use to nobody!”

Maxwell Hutcheon plays widower Henry Hobson (“British, middle-class and proud of it”), who needs his daughter Maggie’s help, but laments his other two daughters’ dress sense and the “gradual increase” in their “uppishness” since their mother died. Attempting to assert control over his daughters, Hobson tires of berating and battling, instead choosing to escape to The MoonRaker for respite – despite it being bad for his health. But will his daughters be able to escape him before it is too late?

Not only is Hobson smarting about his daughters’ “uppishness” but he is also concerned about his workman, Willie Mossop (Michael Shelford), getting “uppish” too when he is praised for his excellent workmanship. The stars of the show are Natalie Grady and Michael Shelford as we watch them slowly and steadily work towards success, and we grow to love the initially abrasive Maggie for her respectful sincerity.

David Thacker’s humorous direction of a splendid cast with their thick Lancashire accents and dialect, along with the references to Salford and Manchester, will resonate well with local audiences in the North West. The audience were highly amused (as evident by the raucous laughter throughout the play) by the witty banter between the characters as they attempt to realise their dreams whilst living out their daily lives. Will the Hobson daughters find the perfect men for perfect marriage? Will the cantankerous Henry Hobson soften in his attitude? That is the question posed at the beginning of the play, and we go along for the ride to see where they will arrive.

A brilliant production bringing Hobson’s Choice back to its original home. An olden times play with touching and timeless themes with which we can still relate.

Words: Sadia Habib

Images:

Meanwhile @ Bolton Octagon, 14.09.13

Some contrasts just work: black is bolder with white, sour tastes sharper with sweet and the heat of the day is better when balanced by the cool of night. But other contrasts are not so positive, like the one at the core of Meanwhile, where the play of children clashes against the pain of conflict. Set in the 1980's at the height of the troubles, Meanwhile follows two concurrent tales. The primary plot concerns The Torpedoes, an all-girl Belfast football team preparing for their annual St Patrick's Day match. The girls have their ups, downs, fall outs and make ups, but when it comes down to it they're having fun. This playing is thrown into sharp relief by the secondary story, where Bobby Sands (Richard Patterson) reads extracts from his diary. Some are vitriolic, others filled with love, but most of all they speak to the horrors of which humans are capable as Sands collapses under the indecent treatment of his captors.

Marshalling these two storylines is no mean feat, but writer Colin Connor and director Nick Birchill achieve a balance between polemic and play, not getting bogged down in politics yet not trivialising the troubles. The changes between the two are handled sharply, making full use of a simple set that fluidly forms into a multitude of highly evocative locations. Movement is a strong suit in general, the highlight being a wonderfully frantic football match that sees the entire cast careering back and forth across the stage with a mixture of tableaux, slow motion and carefully choreographed chaos.

The step up from the tiny Lass O’Gowrie (where Meanwhile debuted) to the studio theatre space at The Bolton Octagon is admirably achieved, and proves there is life beyond the fringe for new writing. Second time around Meanwhile offers stronger production values, more creative blocking and tighter performances. The addition of a band on stage to soundtrack the show added a welcome emotive guide to the storytelling, complimenting the narrative beautifully.

The play requires that the cast be flexible and inventive. Both the basics – such as the Irish accents – and the difficulties of portraying sensitive subject matter were done well. The ensemble portray children despite all being adults, which can be problematic, but they managed to convey the exuberance of youth without making the politics of children feel insignificant.

Seeing the play of children concurrent with the story of Sands shows the meaningless of human conflict, and makes one despair for the misery we bring upon ourselves. But Meanwhile offers redemption too: as the girls show, we need never have such difficulties at all if we play the game in the right spirit.

Words: Andrew Anderson & Megan Griffith
Photos: Courtesy of Bolton Octagon

Long Day's Journey Into Night @ Bolton Octagon, 26.10.13

All families are dysfunctional, but some are more dysfunctional than others. The great American playwright Eugene O’Neill insisted that his semi-autobiographical play Long Day’s Journey Into Night be published posthumously, and no wonder: it is a dark and intensely revealing look at an emotional family who are struggling to move on with their lives.

“In a real home, one is never lonely,” Mary Tyrone (Margot Leicester) tells us. The irony will not be lost on the audience; Mary is desperately seeking a sense of home, while her husband Edmund (Mawgan Gyles) is acquiring ever more property. We learn of her past spent on the road, and her exhaustion at having had to bring up her boys in “second-rate hotels.” We become intrigued as we see the family staring at Mary, expressing reluctance to leave her alone. Why are they walking on eggshells around her?

Mary comes across as neurotic and almost annoying, with a strong performance from Leicester. Yet we grow to understand Mary’s character as the night proceeds, becoming empathetic with both where she has come from and where she is coming from. In addition, the poetic, Nietzsche-reading, pale and sickly Edmund Tyrone (no doubt reflecting Eugene O’Neill himself) is brilliantly portrayed by Mawgan Gyles.

Though the play is fiercely sobering there are moments of humour from the cutting comments offered by Mary, and the comic relief of the maid Cathleen (Jessica Baglow), whose lively exuberance has the audience chuckling. The father and son battles show the strength of the male actors: James Tyrone Senior (Brian Protheroe) and his son Jamie Tyrone (Kieran Hill) are deeply disappointed with each other, and their bitter exchanges keep the audience gripped. It is rare that a play contains such consistently brilliant actors who are able to carry such a long play from beginning to end, as we accompany them on this sometimes difficult and often deeply revealing long day’s journey into the night.

Literary references abound, and are a real treat for lovers of literature. The stage designer has done well to reflect this with the many books on the set – Shakespeare, Zola, Wilde, Baudelaire and more. The symbolism of the miserly father and his concern with lining the pockets of the Electricity Board is perfectly achieved by lighting designer Mick Hughes.

All in all this is another successful play about family trouble and strife by Bolton Octagon, under the excellent direction of the talented David Thacker.

Words: Sadia Habib

Photos: Ian Tilton

An Inspector Calls @ Bolton Octagon Theatre, 13.09.13

1912, England. A new ship sets sail to the Americas and, says Arthur Birling, it is unsinkable. We learn the ship is named The Titanic. War? No chance of war, Birling tells us with great certainty; the Germans do not want war. The dramatic ironies of Mr Birling’s predictions are not lost on the An Inspector Calls audience.

Early on in the play we become acquainted with Birling’s seemingly happy family. They are wealthy, and we later learn they are members of the ruling class. The Birlings and family friend Gerald Croft (Kieran Hill) are in an excited and celebratory mood because Gerald has just got engaged to Sheila Birling (Rosie Jones). Eric Birling (Mawgan Gyles) is a little “squiffy”, and Arthur Birling (Brian Protheroe) is animated and keen to make a toast. Mr Birling comes across as a man whose love of his own voice is matched only by his love of business, and thus he is keen for his daughter’s engagement to bring him great business benefits. Protheroe plays the pompous, opinionated capitalist Arthur Birling with great gusto. Sheila is delighted by the stunning ring Gerald surprises her with. At first she seems quite naïve and shallow, but as the play progresses Jones develops the character of Sheila brilliantly, and we begin to feel warmth for her.

Along with the strong acting performances, the set and costume designer Ruari Murchison successfully emphasise their high status in Brumley society with an opulent setting: a chesterfield settee, dark mahogany tables, gold gilt cornice on the ceiling, a chandelier and other lovely lamps fill and frame the stage. The clothing too is formal: tailcoats for the men, and elegant dresses and skirts for the ladies.

So, among all this affluence Mr Birling is welcoming Gerald to the family. Mrs Birling, Sheila, Eric and Gerald are all quite jovial and joyous. They have an air of confidence and comfortable contentedness: all is right with the world.

And then an Inspector calls, and all their comfort and contentment comes crashing to the ground.

Many people will be familiar with An Inspector Calls as it is often studied in schools, and so will enjoy watching the events unfold with some memory of what will happen. In fact, there were many school students at The Octagon who are no doubt reading the play in their English lessons for their GCSE examination. However, David Thacker’s production is even more thrilling and gripping for those who do not know what happens once the Inspector calls.

A must-watch both for those new to the play and those familiar with the play.

Words: Sadia Habib.
Photos: Ian Tilton.