Review - Skylight - Little Theatre

Skylight 

Little Theatre

10th November, 2025

Written by David Hare

Directed by Tim Clark

Cast: 

Tom Sergeant - Mark Buckley

Kyra Hollis - Suzanne Jennings

Edward Sergeant - Lewis Connor Ryan

This week I have been back to The Little Theatre in Gateshead, home to the Progressive Players. I've not been to this lovely theatre for a while and David Hare's Skylight was a worthy play to temp me back. 

The play takes place in the run-down flat of teacher Kyra Hollis. It's cold and damp and is not in the best area. Into this flat come two unexpected visitors; first Edward Sergeant, and then his father, Tom. We learn from Edward that Kyra was once an important part of their family, that his mother has died, and that his father Tom is not coping. Edward and Tom have argued and eighteen year old Edward has left home. He comes to Kyra hoping that she might help.  Later that evening Tom arrives. We learn that he and Kyra had been having an affair, and Alice, Tom's wife and Kyra's friend discovered this, forcing Kyra's departure from their lives. The play is an exploration of their relationship as they rediscover themselves and find that, though they still love each other, they want different things from life. 

This production by the Progressive Players is superb, from the authenticity of set, to the performances of the three actors. Three strong performances from the cast keep the audience engaged throughout. Under the careful direction of Tim Clarke the tension rises and falls, as the characters overcome their initial awkwardness and wariness, reliving memories - of good times and bad - slowly unfolding their history to the audience. It is emotional - anger, frustration, joy and relief, punctuated with moments of humour. 

The play explores themes of love, loyalty, betrayal and trust, questioning the norms of family life, but also of society, where the rich and influential can be completely cut off from the reality of life for those less fortunate. Although it was written in 1995 the themes resonate today. 

It runs until Saturday 15th November. Tickets are available online, or from the box office on the night. I recommend buying in advance to avoid disappointment! 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - All My Sons - People's Theatre

All My Sons 

People's Theatre

4th June, 2024

Written by Arthur Miller 

Presented by People's Theatre

Directed by Eileen Davidson

Joe Keller is a successful man. He has built up his manufacturing business since the war, providing a beautiful home for his wife Kate, and a thriving company to leave to his son, Chris. He is popular with his neighbours, and the neighbourhood kids. It all seems ideal but beneath the smiles and success are dark secrets. Their youngest son Larry never returned from the war, lost in action, his plane and body never found. Kate lives in hope that one day he will return like so many other sons and husbands she reads of in the news. Chris their eldest son returned from war and slipped into the expected life at his father's firm, but he is not content. He wants more than a life of appeasing his parents for the loss of his brother. This comfortable post-war success does not sit well with him when so many of his comrades did not come back.  

Into all this he has invited Ann. Ann and he have been corresponding for several years, and Chris has invited her back to her home town to ask her to marry him. Kate will not like this, and they have to find a way to break the news to her.  Ann was Larry's girl, and is the daughter of Joe's former partner, Steve. Steve is currently in prison, convicted of supplying faulty aircraft parts in the war - a crime for which Joe was exonerated.  Ann has not been back to her home town since the trial. 

As the play progresses it becomes clear that there is more to the story than first appears. Though he has worked hard to rebuild his reputation, there are underlying doubts about his involvement. Tension builds as Chris tries to assert his wishes for a different life with Ann, against his mother's assertion that Ann is Larry's girl, and that Larry will be coming home one day, while his father tries to maintain the status quo. 

Then come revelations from Sue Bayliss, the Doctor's wife - a bitter and unhappy woman, and the call from Ann's brother with more hints that things are not what they seem. The Keller's carefully constructed life is about to come crashing down. 

There are so many layers to this play - everyone of the characters is hiding their true selves. They all have secrets. Dreams that are unfulfilled, different lives they could have lived. The life that we see them living on stage is carefully but precariously balanced on a single truth - or untruth - and when that is revealed the balance is lost, with catastrophic results. 

The stage is set as the Keller's back yard, in front of their beautiful house, with the garden swing and Larry's tree - which is felled by a storm at the start of the play - a telling symbol of what is about to befall the Kellers.  the house is almost a character in itself - holding the memory of Larry in his room, and lighting up from to cast shadows of the characters when they are inside - most notably when Ann takes the call from her brother. The lighting gives a sense of the life lived in the house, but the shadows also give an ominous sense of foreboding - again, there is the feeling that not all is right in this world. 

There is a brittleness about the characters in their determination to be seen to be happy, to be living their lives, making choices, and yet you do feel that any one of them might break at any moment. And all it takes is that one truth to surface for the breaking to happen. 

Jonathan Goodman is superb, fronting it out as the all American success story, while Ann Zunder plays a blinder as his apparently emotionally distraught wife - and yet, was she not actually the strength behind the whole family? Her assertion that Larry is not dead is what has kept chaos at bay. She knows the truth of it - a father cannot kill his own son! 

Each actor in this production gives such a convincing portrayal - you feel their frustrations, their joys, their disappointments and their doubts! Each one reveals little by little the cracks and faults in their story - until the final reveal, and all is lost. It was fascinating to watch, as each character revealed themselves, like a slowly pulled thread, and eventually the whole fabric of their lives unravelled.

It's a complicated tragedy - a story of love and loyalty, guilt and innocence, of truth and patriotism, of family, and of the tarnished American Dream. This is the kind of production that reminds me why I love theatre so much. It is compelling. 

All My Sons plays until June 8th. I highly recommend it. 

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

  

Preview - Rutherford and Son - Little Theatre

Rutherford and Son 

22 April – 28 April

by Githa Sowerby

Coming this week to The Little Theatre, the Progressive Players present Rutherford and Son a gritty Northern Drama written by  local playwright, Githa Sowerby.

A patriarch owner of a Glass works in the North East, Rutherford rules his family just as he runs his business in the early 20th Century with a true rod of iron and a ruthless air, brooking no challenge to his reign. However in his latter years, his sons have other ideas, and now Rutherford’s legacy is crumbling around him and he reaps what he sows. A real Northern family period drama. 

Githa Sowerby, also known by penname K. G. Sowerby was born in Gateshead, her family the Sowerby’s were a local glass-making family. A noted feminist as well as a playwright she wrote a number of children’s books, including a number of retellings of classic fairy tales Cinderella and Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Rutherford and Son is her most well known play.

Tickets are available online from ticketsource or from the box office 

Telephone 0191 4781499 (Box Office answerphone) 

Box Office opening hours: 

Week before play week - Monday to Friday 6.30pm to 8pm, and during play week - Monday to Saturday 6.30pm to 9pm.

Or you can Email boxoffice@progressiveplayers.org

Preview - Entertaining Mr Sloane - People's Theatre

Carry On meets The League of Gentlemen next week at the People’s Theatre in Heaton!

Joe Orton’s bitingly funny black comedy ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE sees the titular sly and handsome conman rent a room from lonely widow Kath.

As Kath and her controlling brother Ed vie for the shady young lodger’s attention, he thinks he has them wrapped around his little finger.

But soon Mr Sloane finds himself entangled in a dangerous game of sex, desire, blackmail and violence.

When it premiered in 1964, this provocative satire on social and sexual hypocrisy stirred up much controversy. And this wickedly sharp and hilarious black comedy still has the power to shock!

ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE runs from Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 March on the Main Stage.

Tickets are available from the People’s Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

___

The Talented Mr Ripley - Review - Northern Stage

The Talented Mr Ripley 
Northern Stage 
4th March 2020

The stage is set. We can see a typewriter centre stage as a young man approaches, This man is no other Than Tom Ripley, a somewhat paranoid and confused character, who has trouble feeling comfortable in his own skin. All the cast play different roles at various times in the play and quite interestingly when they aren’t playing a character, they are essentially miming what’s going on in the scene or Mr Ripley’s mind, which at first is somewhat confusing, but you get used to it quickly enough.

I will call him Mr Ripley, because as interesting a character he is, I don’t find him particularly likeable, Calling him Tom betrays his twisted nature somewhat. Sure we can all relate to the aspects of his character, the struggle with light and dark and the awkwardness of human interactions, but this man is after all intelligent enough to see his flaws and rather than working on them, he merely turns them around to his own end, he is a manipulative con man, we get glimpses of why that may be, but it’s not solid enough to explain all his actions.

It takes a while for any humour to seep through, but it does come as we get to know Mr Ripley’s character. He sees himself as an actor and at times we see him visualising being on a film set, enacting certain somewhat twisted ideas, before the director, a kind of representation of his better and more logical side stops him and makes him redo the scene, until the best outcome is achieved.

We begin with Mr Ripley interacting with a rich father, whose son, Richard has left New York for Europe, specifically Italy. Richards father seems desperate to get him back to New York and has tracked down Mr Ripley, who he has somehow identified as One of Richards best friends, to make him a proposition. Find his son and bring him back to see his sick mother, who is dying of leukaemia. Mr Ripley isn’t too keen on this idea at first, until it becomes clear he can use it to his own end. 

Mr Ripley then begins a series of manipulative and personally advantageous decisions and some extremely morally questionable ones. He battles his sexual desires and somewhat represses them. Some of the terms feel a little dated from when this was first written, but remain unchanged to more accurately reflect the times.


This production was very good and treats the source material very well. The acting is great, I particularly liked the actor playing the Italian detective and Richard’s father, although he looks like a younger version of William Defoe, so personally I struggled to shake this from my mind.



Actors miming scenes, other characters and actions that take place in Mr Ripley’s mind worked really well in certain parts and was confusing or distracting in others, but overall an interesting and effective method of adding colour and definition to the story. There’s one specific scene that works particularly well and looks like theatrical gymnastics, but we can tell from the audio what is really going on.

I was aware of the source material and some of the plot points, but I have never experienced the various other sources of this material, so I have no direct compassion, however I think it’s fair to say a lot of the people who have experience other versions of this material, have put this near the top of their lists. Overall an enjoyable watch.

Playing at the Northern Stage Thursday 5th March - Saturday 7th March.
Frank Cromartie Murphy  





The Talented Mr Ripley 
Northern Stage 
Wednesday 4 March

A high-energy performance that gives the audience access to Ripley's mind as he journeys through a series of events taking him from a nondescript past to a future populated with ghosts.

The set is visually stunning, and the members of Faction richly deserve the plaudits they have received in earlier reviews. It's a great piece of physical theatre.

Watch out for the stylised moments where the acting is “cut” to explore the alternative actions being considered by Ripley and the beautiful ballet-like elegance of the stylised depiction of intimacy.

Better than the film. And in a well-loved NE venue. Go.
Catherine Lee

The Snow Queen - Review - Northern Stage

The Snow Queen

Northern Stage

Thursday 5th December 

Sometimes you go to see a show and afterwards think to yourself, 'well that was something a bit special'. Northern Stage's production of The Snow Queen definitely falls into that category for me. Adapted by Laura Lindow and directed by Mark Calvert, this version of Hans Christian Andersen's fable certainly captures both the strange and beautiful elements of it perfectly.

There have been lots of different versions and interpretations of this classic story throughout the years, more recently being the inspiration for Walt Disney's Frozen.This adaptation tells of the townsfolk of Stifle, and as the name suggests they have barricaded themselves in behind a wall from the threat of the outside. They lead a restrictive way of life with very strict rules that must be followed in order to keep themselves protected from what peril lies beyond. 

The tale is of, and told by, Gerda (played by Lauren Waine) and the friendship she forms with a boy called Kai (Gregor Mackay); a newcomer to the school she attends. As their friendship grows and flourishes Kai starts to question all the rules and restrictions - why are they not allowed to speak openly of their hopes and wishes and what exactly is beyond the barricade?

One fateful night he speaks aloud of these things, climbs to where he shouldn't and he, along with other children of the town, goes missing. It is then that we enter the icy world of The Snow Queen. It is now up to Gerda, through her friendship and with strength and courage (and a snowglobe) to enter The Snow Queen's world and discover the fate of Kai and the others who are missing. Can she rescue them or will The Snow Queen get her wish of a perpetual winter?

What I loved about this show was that it felt magical throughout. It is a very lavish production, a

stunning set with the props the lighting the sounds all adding to the excitement. The stage is like a boardwalk with audience on opposite sides and it is used throughout to great effect. There is great energy from all the cast. Lots of lively singing and dancing making the tale being told a delight visually and musically.

Many members of the cast took turns in playing different instruments too. This I particularly enjoyed, the musical score played live upstairs on the stage. Described as rustic and folky, the music really fitted the vibe of the production. The puppetry was used really effectively and made the stage become even more alive, especially when the reindeer appears.

The costumes were great, very colourful and quirky. Special mention must go to The Snow Queen. As she became more powerful her costumes became more and more stunning and spectacular.

There is a mild danger element to the story, but lots of interesting characters and lots of fun, merriment and humour included in the show too (its suitable for the whole family, great for ages 5+) Particular mention must go to the schoolteacher and strict disciplinarian Elsie Orr (Paula Penman) who for me provided the biggest laughs and played her part brilliantly.

To find out if Gerda fulfills her dream of playing a musical solo, and if she succeeds in her quest to stop The Snow Queen's plan and save Kai and the missing children, to discover if the people of Stifle will have a happy Christmas….The Snow Queen is on until 4th January 2020. I thoroughly recommend a visit to see it. *Picture Credit: Pamela Raith Photography

Belinda Bekki-Winter

Pride and Prejudice - Review - People's Theatre

Pride and Prejudice 

People's Theatre

19th Nov 2019

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel with a lot going on. At it’s very basic, it is a romance story that surely must have been the blueprint for every Mills and Boon ever written. Girl meets arrogant man, hates him on site. He falls for a beauty whose background presents him with a major personal conflict. He resists but against the better judgement of his head, his heart is smitten. They proceed to misunderstand each other for most of the story (if you don’t want spoilers look away now) but of course and common sense win out in the end.


But it is so much more than this mere love story. It looks at relationships and responsibilities in society, and within the circle of families and friends. It questions attitudes to women, to the armed forces. It exposes class boundaries and the snobbery and prejudice that these elicit in the upper classes. Jane Austen herself broke those boundaries by daring not only to write , but to write  about the very society that said she, as a woman, could not.  She ridicules, in the nicest possible way, the social niceties, showing up the absurdity of the social formalities that keep women, and the ‘socially inferior’ in their rightful place.  


All of these elements are present in Helen Jerome’s adaptation for the stage. And yet somehow it misses the mark of Austen’s accomplishment. For sure the ridiculing of society is there, but the romance...or perhaps more the sympathy is missing. The play jumps from country house to assembly, to grand mansion and back again, revealing aspects of the characters and the story like a partially lit room. We see parts but not the whole. And so we see the absurdity of society in all its glory but the delicacy of the love story is missed. The nuances of developing attractions, and duplicitous beaux are squashed under seemingly lightning bolt revelations. Act two in particular feels disjointed and rushed as Jerome hurtles us towards the finale.


That said, the cast at the People’s have recreated the characters – in some cases quite spectacularly. Anna Dobson as Mrs Bennett wails her woes hysterically at her husband and daughters, swerving seamlessly from disdain to admiration for fellow characters as the situation warrants. The young daughters (Zoe Rankin, Emily Ashton and Millie Hackett) bicker and sulk their way through the play as only teenagers can. Adam Owers’ Darcy is condescendingly aloof throughout, with just the right amount of disarming discomfort to show his inner struggle as he tries to express his feeelings to Elizabeth (Amy Lowes Smith). But by far the stars of the production are Stephen Waller as Mr Collins who oozes his way across the stage and wraps himself with oily obsequiousness around anyone who can further his cause, and Rye Mattick as the main object of his sycophancy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh - imperious and fully assured of her own self-importance.


It’s not an easy task to portray so many characters and develop each of their stories within the time allowed for a stage play, and the set design and stage management do a good job of creating the different scenes with as little disruption as possible – the addition of a chandelier, swapping flowers for a bust statue to indicate the different venues.


The production and performances were spot on as ever with the People’s, and certainly the characters were all skilfully portrayed, but overall the adaptation for me was too disjointed and lacked something of the charm and romance of Austen’s original.


Denise Sparrowhawk

The Gambling Man - Review - People's Theatre

The Gambling Man

People's Theatre
16th July 2019

The People's Theatre close their season with a crowd-pleasing Cookson adaptation.
The Gambling Man, set in South Shields, follows the fortunes of Rory Connor (Stephen Sharkey) a rent collector with ambition. A gambler, he plans to use his skills at the tables to win enough money to lift himself and his brother out of poverty. His plan to buy a derelict boat yard, however, brings him into conflict with the Pitty brothers (Steve Hewitt and Steve Strouzer) and their employer Alfred Nickle (Tony Seghal). If Rory and his brother set up in the boat yard, their own shady business will be under threat and they won't allow it.  Rory's ambition and arrogance is greater than their threats and he and his brother eventually do set up their boatyard in opposition to the Pittie brothers but not without a cost. Rory gambles to win the money for the yard, and almost dies after a beating by the brothers.  He "borrowed" his gambling stake from  his best friend's rent account and because of the beating is unable to repay the money before it is discovered missing. His friend is jailed for the theft. The guilt of this will haunt Rory and ultimately destroys his relationship with Janie (Emma jane Richards), his childhood sweetheart.

It's a tale of harship, ambition, fate and fortune. Rory is essentially a good man but he has a flawed character. He is a man who wants to control his own destiny, but finds other people and circumstance have a hand in his fate, sometimes for the better, but ultimately or the worse and he pays dearly for his mistakes. In many ways it is a very hardy-esque tale with fate intervening to interfere with the chosen path of the characters and the weather (unremittingly stormy and brilliantly conveyed by the sound crew) mirroring the relentless difficulty and hardship and portent of what is come.

The experienced People's cast and crew do a grand job of presenting this adaptation of Catherine Cookson's work. Their affection for the local writer is clear in the portrayal of the characters and their stories.  Though a tragic tale, it is saved from being overbearingly dark by the honest observation of the characters and the snatches of humour in their dealings with each other. You might not like all these characters but will feel for their situation.

You can bet fans of Cookson will love this production, while fans of the theatre will appreciate the staging and performances.

The Gambling Man will be playing until Saturday 20th July. Raise your stake and take your place at the tables with him.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Frankenstein - Review - People's Theatre

Frankenstein 
People's Theatre
22nd May 2019


When you think of Frankenstein, I would bet that you think of a rather crude, squarish monster...A caricature propagated by Hollywood, stomping stiff legged, arms outstretched, groaning inarticulately. Perhaps more than any other monster, Frankenstein's has been taken over and diminished, and dehumanised  by the movie industry. Nick Dear's play seeks to explore and reassert the humanity of Frankenstein's creature.


The play begins with a blinding flash - the spark of life - and as the stage lights rise, we see the creature standing, arms outstretched like Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, apparently geometrically balanced, perfectly proportioned. But the image of perfection is short lived, as the creature collapses and drags himself towards his creator in an ungainly, uncoordinated
crawl. Horrified by the hideousness of his creation Frankenstein runs, abandoning the creature, believing it would not survive. And so the first experience of humanity for the creature is that of rejection. Rejection and cruelty will be the formative experiences for the creature - though he revels in the beauty of the world around him, and finds friendship with the blind man, he is unable to forget men's cruelty and his reaction to rejection is always rage, which he cannot control. The creature learns, he is intelligent and logical, but emotionally limited. He lacks understanding of why men are cruel and vengeful. He sees that beauty is valued, and can appreciate it himself, but is also acutely aware of his own lack of beauty and worth. He feels the isolation of being unlike others, and longs for companionship. Unable to find it he strikes out against everyone, his own actions mirroring the reactions of men towards him, and leads eventually to tragedy.



The People's Theatre have produced an astonishing play. Colin Jeffrey's portrayal of the creature is compelling. His ungainly gait and halting speech embody the imperfection of his physical body, and contrast completely with the intelligence the creature very quickly displays.  Against this image of the creature is set the handsome, assured, articulate and calculating Frankenstein, played by Adam Owers. The contrast between the two characters could not be greater. It is an excellent piece of casting.


This is a play that will shock, and surprise the audience - there are brutal and bloody scenes, but also moments of heart aching compassion, and even some humour. You will find your sympathies lie with the creature - misunderstood wretch that he is, even at his darkest moments he is a worthier character than his creator.


The staging, lighting, sound, all contribute to the immersive experience for the audience. Frankenstein addresses the audience in the first scene effectively drawing us into the narrative, and at times characters enter from the back of the auditorium - from rowdy, riotous villages to the terrified, and terrifying creature - ensuring that we never relax or feel complacent about what is unfolding on stage. We feel we are somehow complicit in the action.

To leave the theatre still feeling the emotional effects of what you have seen and experienced is the sign of a good production.  The People's Theatre's production of Frankenstein does exactly that. It is definitely not for the faint hearted, but you definitely should experience it.

It plays until Sat 25th May.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Equus - Review - Northern Stage

Equus

Northern Stage
30th April 2019

I didn't know much about Equus before I opted to review it at Northern stage. I knew it was about a young man who committed heinous crime, I knew it involved nudity and eroticism. I knew this because of the furore that followed the announcement that Daniel Radcliffe was to take the lead role shortly after finishing his stint as the saviour of the world in Harry Potter. I suspect that most people - none theatre people, I mean -  if they are aware of this play at all, are aware of it because of this. I admit that it was partly Potter-induced curiosity that led me to raise my hand when the offer of reviewing Equus came up. I was curious to see what all that fuss had been about, had it been justified or was it all just media fuelled hysteria with little substance. I wondered if the cast of this production felt pressured by the play's recent history. And so I arrived not knowing much, not certain that the little I did know was accurate, and feeling just a little trepidatious. I really was not sure what to expect.

The stage as we entered the auditorium was clear - pale grey curtains, around the three sides, a grey
floor with the appearance of velvety texture - a dappled horse hide, perhaps? And in the corner a small brown clad figure. Martin Dysart, child psychiatrist. The best in the field and, as it turns out, a man on the edge. Martin, already over stretched, takes on the case of Alan Strang, a boy who has committed a terrible crime and it is through his eyes that we learn the truth, as he gently, patiently uses his psychiatrist's tricks to draw Alan out. He talks to the boy, to the parents, to his friend the magistrate who brought the boy to him and gradually secrets are revealed. Not just Alan's secret, but those of his parents and of Dysart himself. this story is as much about the doctor as it is the patient. As he unravels the mystery of the boy's actions, we see that he himself is unravelling, questioning the very core of his being, the validity of his skill, of his profession. The doctor is as chained as the horses, as much a prisoner in a world of his own making as the boy is. Both are trapped, and as the boy gradually breaks free from his prison, Dysart seems pulled deeper into his own.

The play is full of religious imagery and symbolism. The jealous, vengeful gods, demanding worship
and sacrifice and yet capable of  bestowing the most agonising joy, a spiritual and physical ecstasy. It shows how the extremes and contradictions of life, and love and devotion can influence an impressionable mind, and how imagination and fantasy can blur reality, with tragic consequences.

The performances are superb, throughout. Ethan Kai is a brooding presence on the stage, glowering with anger one minute, and painfully vulnerable the next. Zubin Varla's storytelling skills are matchless as he chain-smokes his way through Alan's strange and disturbing tale. And this tale is told as much through body language as words - most notably through the horses. They are noble and beautiful creatures - played by the actors without props, they stand, regally flanks quivering and nostrils flaring and at no point do you think that this is a man pretending to be a horse. They simply are the horse. Ira Mandela Siobhan as Nugget creates the most beautiful, regal creature.

The play is compelling, and disturbing, unutterably beautiful and unsettling, painful and sensual. I have rarely been so entranced by a performance, so completely absorbed by it - I realised as the first act drew to a close that I had been actually holding my breath and sitting so still for so long that the movement and noise of the audience as the curtain came down felt almost intrusive.

Was my trepidation justified? Not at all. There is no shocking sensationalism. There is a painful and sad story, an horrific act by a desperate boy, and a powerful and moving portrayal of the events and characters involved. Powerful, moving, compelling, beautiful. None of these words adequately describe the experience that Ned Bennett has created for this English Touring Theatre production. It is sensational for all the right reasons.

Equus runs until Sat 4th May.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Bouncers -Review- Northern Stage

Bouncers 
Theatre Royal Wakefield and John

Godber Company

at Northern Stage
Tuesday 19th March 2019 

Cast:  Frazer Hammill, Peter McMillan, Duncan Riches, Lamin Touray


This smash hit comedy is described by the National Theatre as one of the plays of the millenium. The original writer John Godber has revisited the show to bring us this bang up to date (uber and selfies) production which tells of one night in a Yorkshire nightclub all under the watchful eye of the bouncers.

What makes Bouncers such the brilliant comedy for me is primarily the relatability. We've all either been there, recognising ourselves, friends or have seen first hand the coming and goings of a typical night out in the nightclub world.

I can't think of bouncers without remembering the cringeworthy time of me in my teens attempting to get into a trendy nightclub and being refused. It wasn't because of being underage (which I most definitely was) no, the bouncers took one look at me, in a denim jacket I'd badly accessorized with half sewn bits of flag, short spiky hair and Doc Martin boots shook their heads and quoted the dress policy to me.

The story is told through the four bouncers (Lucky Eric, Judd, Les and Ralph) and also a group of four ladies and four men on their night out. The writing really is outstanding, capturing perfectly and humorously the characters’ hopes and thoughts as they prepare for and go about their night out. It is a great observational piece punchily told as it goes between the various groups of people as the night unfolds.

Whilst very funny it does also include a few short ‘speeches’ interspaced through the show from one of the bouncers Lucky Eric (the more serious one) He tells things he’s seen in his career from a different side away from all the fun, shots, drugs and general having a good time. Also touching at times on social commentary, this gives it a more real feel which is part of the brilliance of this show. It made me feel as though I was there in the club.

The four actors were all exceptional. Playing the parts of the bouncers as well as the lads and lasses on the night out. The set was minimal (only a few beer kegs and moveable metal fences were needed) and at the back of the stage strips of multi coloured lights and 4 archways which the cast momentarily went behind and reappeared signalling the start of a different scene. This was done seamlessly and apart from a few handbags no change of clothes or other props were required and this was because the actors switched characters and immediately took on their different personas they were playing really well.

There was swearing, dancing (reminiscent at times of that hilarious scene from The Inbetweeners) singing, contemporary music, tears, shots galore, copping off (or trying to) talk of a sexual nature and most of all lots of laughs and highly entertaining throughout. I enjoyed every second and my jaw still aches. I would definitely go see this again. As I made my way out I couldn't walk past a group of people without overhearing them say how good it was or “he's beautiful” and “he's hot” life imitating art and vice versa.

It is on at Northern Stage until Saturday 23rd March

Belinda Bekki-Winter

Start Swimming - People's Theatre - Review

Start Swimming 

People's Theatre

February 22nd 2019

Start Swimming is the second production to be staged in the brand-new People's Theatre Studio, and the first for the youth theatre. Given the title you could think it was about swimming - but no it wasn't.

Written by James Fritz and performed brilliantly by members of the People's Youth Theatre this is a great show from start to finish.

We start with some inspirational quotes from lots of different famous people including the phrase about insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, Albert Einstein.

Then we get onto the action. Now as someone who is an activist in politics this show is right down my alley.

I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.... this is the tag line and as an activist this is something I live by.

You know those "Keep Off the Grass" signs that you just want to kick over and walk on the grass? This idea is central to the play. 

The cast navigate a dystopian reality TV show in which they question each other; half have sashes and are the ones in 'power' and then some are without and have no authority. 

In politics especially in local levels they seem to think they really do have power! They don't! They are in authority but don't have power.

But who does have power? Is it landowners and leaders or is it people? You can make a case for all three but for me it's people. We as the people should be able to shape destiny, but who is right?

We could create a better society if we question things. But as we are human we accept second best and wait for someone else to act until we get pissed off and frustrated. Then we tell authority to Feck off.

Generation Y (as I am) are the best ones at telling authorities to do one, since we are the ones with better ideas and we understand that we NEED to be the change (something that the Millennials need to learn). You have to actually do something to get what you want.

Young people can make a difference.

But back to the play - the main person in the play has a blue sash and was not on either side of the divide but controlled both. 

The play spoke about how the world is broken and how we need to fix it.

While short in length – just over an hour – this is a great play that really connects to people and today's politics and the change that needs to happen! It’s a  great start in the  studio with some great young actors. The acapella singing is on point and in tune with the theme of the play.

On until Sat 23^rd. be quick to see it!

Reuben Hiles

Preview - Mary Mary - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE BEGIN 2019 WITH JACK THE RIPPER-THEMED MARY MARY.

The Royalty Theatre will begin 2019 with the premier of local writer Billy Tower’s Mary Mary.

The play is based around the life of Mary Kelly, considered by many to be the fifth and final victim of Whitechapel killer Jack the Ripper.    Little is known of Mary Kelly’s life before she came to reside in Whitechapel – making her by far the most mysterious of the serial killer’s alleged victims.

Director Abbi Laidler says: “It is a fictional account of factual events and I try to explore how those events had an impact on the Whitechapel community and Mary Kelly in particular. The victims have been reduced to names in police files, but these women had lives that are often overlooked in the search for the killer. I am not interested in naming the killer in this play, I am using Mary to focus on how these events affected her as an individual.  I really hope you enjoy this show written by the talented Billy Towers.”

The play, which runs from 23^rd to 26^th January, stars Nikki Slack as Mary and Andrew Barella as Joseph Barnett.  Also appearing are Helen Bowie and Alex Goodchild.

Being performed in the Royalty’s studio theatre, which last year saw performances of Five Kinds of Silence, Temple and new piece Jesu Mercy, all tickets are £6.50 and are strictly limited to 60 per evening.

Over the years I have been reviewing I have come to relish the intimacy and immediacy  of a studio production. Performed in a small space these productions can have a greater impact on the audience members than plays performed in the larger auditorium.  The close proximity of the audience to the stage - often in the round - creates a sense of involvement and increases the intensity of the experience. There is no where to hide when emotions begin to run high. 

 Often studio productions are plays by established writers which  explore difficult themes, or they may be new works by writers testing their wings. Mary Mary is a combination of a new work by a local writer, and an exploration of a difficult subject. It sounds fascinating and I am looking forward to experiencing it. 

Tickets can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366 and I recommend purchasing in advance to avoid disappointment - Friday and Saturday are already sold out. 

DS