Zero by JustTalk Theatre

Credit: JustTalk Theatre Company

I'll admit that when it comes to theatre, I may not be the first person you should come to for a review or advice on what to see. However, I enjoy theatre as much as the next bloke (unless they are a proper critic) whether it's on a grand stage for all to see, in the open (with the audience in a sea of umbrellas), or even in the back of a pub in Salford.

An original piece by JustTalk cofounder Robin Lyons, Zero is set in the aftermath of father's suicide and focuses on the lives of his two children, Eddie and Helen, and their attempts to move on. Working around the theme of suicide, the play had the dangers of becoming bogged down in depression and despair. However, while the suicide had a looming presence throughout, light-hearted humour was deftly weaved in where required.

The writing was at its best when it spent its time as a duo piece, with the interactions between the brother and sister being used to explain the nature of the family and the eccentricities of their father, along with their own opinions towards his end. Soliloquies were not just used to fill in the history since the suicide, but most importantly allowed us to learn all we needed about Eddie and Helen.

While initially Dean Gregory's Eddie led the play, it was later in the play when Rosemary Terry's Helen came to the forefront, benefiting from her more engaging emotional subplot. However, this is not to say that either became unbelievable at any point, with both captivating and holding the audiences attention (a difficult task for this easily distracted viewer) throughout their double helix of highs and lows. 

However, I personally felt the play suffered at its ending. The introduction of a third main, Tim, attempts to clear up some of the mystery of the father's end but in my opinion provides a jarring ending to the play. A quiet ending may have fit better with the rest of the production.

In summary, Zero is a strongly-written and intelligent production with a fantastic cast and setting, I'd highly recommend going to see it in the rest of its run at The Eagle Inn in Salford, on 29th-31st March 2016. It's a bit of a trek to get there, but once you're watching, it's well worth it.

The Dumb Waiter

Hello, I'm back! 2015 is upon us and I'd love to say I've been incredibly busy. However, the truth is I haven't been particularly rushed off my feet (other than exams), so I don't have a great deal to tell you. Well, that's if you don't count my recent trip to see The Dumb Waiter at HOME...

The What?

The Dumb Waiter! A Ransack Theatre production, part of HOME's Re:play Festival 2015, which was performed on the 15th and 16th January. Taking place in HOME's new home on First Street, The Dumb Waiter was a production of the play written by Harold Pinter. If, like myself, you're not familiar with the works of Mr. Pinter, I'll give you a brief synopsis of the play, watch out for spoilers!

1.) Show starts. Two men, Gus and Ben, both in suits, are waiting in a grotty basement. The younger man (Gus) asks the older, more weary man (Ben), a series of questions about their next 'job' and other related (and unrelated) topics.

2.) The two men bicker about a series of items, ranging from whether Man City are playing this weekend, to the term 'put the kettle on'. It becomes evident the two men are actually hitmen (shock, horror!)

3.) A series of food orders arrive from the floors above, the two men panic. Hilarity ensues.

4.) Hilarity ends when the men receive their orders for the next 'job', causing betrayal.

Gus waiting for the next job. Photo: HOME

So there's a brief run-though of the play, without ruining too many plot details. At an hour long, this was a one-act play, which was well-received. Any longer and the story line would have been stretched thin, like butter scraped over too much bread. A two-man play can be a tricky thing to master, as if the actors don't fit together, then the audience will be lost relatively quickly. However, James Warburton (Gus) and Alastair Michael (Ben) were perfectly matched, with Michael's performance as the short tempered, wearier, Ben being of note.

The simple set design helped portray our duo's lack of control over their next job, a dingy, windowless room with two beds and a gas cooker which doesn't light. Almost a third companion, it helped amplify the rising tensions and the claustrophobia that accompanied the darker moments of the play.

How Much?

Tickets to the play cost £8 for students, and £10 normally. The play was run as part of the Re:play Festival, where the best fringe drama from the last 12 months in Greater Manchester is brought together for another run. The Re:play Festival has ended now, but I am in no doubt that HOME will run it again next year.