May 2012

My, what a lot can change in two months. Greg Doran has become the new RSC Artistic Director – the perfect choice in my opinion, Europe is on its way to hell in a hand cart, The Edinburgh Fringe has already begun to sell tickets (how has that come around so quick?), somehow Boris Johnson got re-elected (you know who you are!) and yours truly married his long time and long suffering girlfriend. As a result of the last of these events, I have done very little revolutionary with the site, finding that the font used for name places became much more time consuming than I could ever have imagined. We have however had our best few months in no small part due to Ricky Gervais retweeting our review of Derek to his 2.5 million followers – those 140 characters almost crashed the site but we’re obviously very very grateful.

We did have a bit of a run in this month, about what it is we are trying to do, and so I thought I would just clarify again for anyone who is doubting our motives. We do not provide good reviews to everything that is out there, otherwise when we say something is good you wouldn’t believe us. We simply only mention the good stuff, so we have seen many shows over the last year but only the ones we liked have a review which is available for you to read. We want to support artistic ideas and push new theatre makers forward. We want to help not hinder aspirations. Sorry if you knew this already but it is perhaps worth re-iterating to avoid confusion.

Announcements

This month we welcome new reviewers Laura Wells who joins our London team and Mike and Dee Knowles who are now our Plymouth reviewing team. We also welcome new venues The Lowry, The Watermill, The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth and the Birmingham Rep,  we’ve built some really exciting new links recently and we hope we can provide them all with wonderful reviews.

So Whats New This Month

I had the very great pleasure to interview Kristin Atherton who is playing the role of Mary Shelley in Shared Experience’s production of the same name and also Ciaran Owens who was starring in Philip Ridley’s Mercury Fur at the Old Red Lion theatre which has incredibly also secured a West End Transfer in the last couple of weeks and will be at the Trafalgar Studios in the coming weeks. Also we met up with Curran McKay and Kate Lamb who will be starring in Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke  at the Southwark Playhouse. I also reviewed Matt Damon’s latest offering We Bought a Zoo (4*) and of course the aforementioned article on Derek (4*) Ricky Gervais’ surprising new TV show.

Peter Coe got to the Watermill Theatre twice over the last few months to see Love on the Tracks (4*) and Of Mice and Men (5*) both of which he found charming and exciting and both reviews are likewise, he also loved the Kings Speech (5*) at the Wyndhams theatre. Alison Staples had a tough time with both D.N.A (3*) and Miss Julie (4*) at the Manchester Royal Exchange but adored the hilarious Musical Avenue Q (5*) at the Lowry theatre. Dee Knowles was blown away by A History of Everything (4*) at the Drum theatre but struggled to respond as well to Propeller’s The Winter’s Tale (3*). Fellow Newby Laura Wells though found The Conquering Hero (4*) at the Richmond Orange Tree a thoroughly enjoyable experience though and Mike Knowles was particularly taken with Avengers Assemble (5*). Christina Folkard popped over the New Diorama Theatre to see Four Days of Grace (4*) which she really enjoyed and Vera Litvin adored One Man Two Guvnors (5*) at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. And there were contributions from Mat Hough who wrote an article on Headhunters (4*) Natasha Trevenna who saw Mustafa (4*) at Birmingham Rep and Sarah Lines who saw the Vocal Orchestra at the Udderbelly on the Southbank.

My article of the month is a toss up between either Laura Wells’ piece on The Conquering Hero or Peter Coe’s article on Of Mice and Men. I also love Mike Knowles’ adoration piece on Avengers Assemble which I also loved, great film. If pushed though I think Laura’s would win it by a nose.

Things you should make note of…

I really do suggest that you look out for Summer and Smoke at the Southwark Playhouse, it is an amazing production. Also make sure you catch the Greenhouse Theatre Company’s Production of Mercury Fur as it transfers to the Trafalgar Studio.

A year and a half ago I saw Summer and Smoke at LAMDA’s Linbury Studio, and I still remember it as clearly as if it was yesterday. A dark, claustrophobic drama about not saying enough and missing opportunities. With some of the best performances I had seen up until that point or have witnessed since. So often the things you find brilliant are so fleeting that they never get the chance to make the impact that they should, and so I was filled with enormous pleasure when I found out that the show was to be re-produced this summer at the Southwark Playhouse. I caught up with the shows two leads, Curran McKay and Kate Lamb to talk about reviving the show and dusting off their old costumes again.

Alright Curran and Kate?

Kate: Alright, nice to see you!

Curran: Im great thanks Kieran. Congrats on tying the knot!

Thank you! So… Summer in Smoke is performed at the Southwark Playhouse this summer what can you tell us about it?

Kate: Wow, ok well it’s a little known Tennessee Williams play, and it’s just a beautiful piece. I think what stands it apart from other Williams plays is perhaps its simplicity. The main characters are young, and an obvious product of their circumstances. As a result they pass each other by and hurt each other terribly without ever wanting to. It’s a very simple tragedy and utterly compelling because of that.

Curran:  The story involves two people who are polar opposites in their spirituality and their lifestyles, and are drawn to each other because of it. Because it’s Williams, the writing is poetic and he paints an authentic depiction of small town life and how stifling it can be. This will be only the second time the play has ever been performed in London, which is surprising as it is a strong following in the States

And who do you play?

Kate: I play Alma, the town minister’s daughter.

Curran: And I play John, a doctor returning from medical school.

Are there particular challenges about performing a Tennessee Williams text?

Kate: Well Williams writes characters that don’t really exist anymore. It’s an incredibly different time and place so calling on experience isn’t useful for that side of things. But, on the flip side he writes such complete, real people that it isn’t hard to get inside and understand them.

Curran: Sometimes its particularly difficult as he writes with such expression and composition that its challenging to deliver in a naturalistic fashion. It can be even harder hitting to an audience than naturalistic text if you get it right but you gotta work twice as hard to hit it.

You’ve done this show before haven’t you?

Kate: We did five shows a year and a half ago for Rebecca Frecknall’s final showcase at LAMDA. We were all so proud of it, that when the chance came to do it again, we jumped.

Curran: Its a show I’m particularly proud to be associated with, and it deserved another run.

Is it nice working with the same people again?

Kate: It’s brilliant. We already have a short hand when working together and we keep remembering all the stupid stuff we got up to last time and wasting rehearsals.

Curran: Im still astounded so many of the original team are on board! Jenna flew from New York to do it!

Kate you have worked with Rebecca Frecknall several times what is it that you like abouy working with her?

Kate: She’s got this brilliant vision for things and she doesn’t just ‘believe’ in collaborative theatre making- for her, it’s like breathing; there’s no other way. It’s incredibly liberating and terrifying as an actor. That and she can tell me when something’s crap without making me think I’M crap. You laugh, but that’s a skill not all directors possess!

How has the show changed?

Kate: We tried something a bit risky last time and it wasn’t until the first show that we realised it actually worked. Basically now that we know it does, we’re looking to be bolder with it and embrace it more. Oh and I think curran and I might actually learn our lines this time.

Curran: I cant promise anything about the lines, but we’re certainly more confident as an ensemble this time round. Rebecca made a bold decision in having the townsfolk presented as a chorus which gave this cloud of oppression over Alma and John. We’re taking that idea even further than last time. Also theres a few practical things like adapting the show to a new space.

When is it being performed and how can people buy tickets?

Southwark playhouse vaults from 13th-30th June. Tickets available from the website NOW!!

What are your favourite films?

Kate: ET and The Sting. Old classics really. I really appreciate JJ Abrahms’ ET homage in Super 8 but nothing’s really captured the cheek and spirit of The Sting. I love that old grifter talk – ‘you got Moxy, kid’ – what I wouldn’t give for someone to say that to me.

C: Cliched, but im gonna have to go with Godfather II. Because its great. Chris Nolan’s early stuff too: Memento is a top 5.

Who are your favourite actors?

Kate: Um, I go through phases but at the moment I’m loving what Curran McKay’s doing. (laughs). And I think Jodie Whittaker has had a very enviable career so far.

Curran: Thanks Kate! I think James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano in The Sopranos) gives some incredibly complex performances. Ive never seen Kevin Spacey do anything I didnt like. Oh and uh, Kate Lamb….shes in this play at the moment…

If you could perform as any character in any play at any venue what would it be and where?

Kate: Richard II at the globe I think. That’d be a challenge.

Curran: Id love to play Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger. Venue’s not important.

I can not recommend this production highly enough – if you have opinions about Tennessee Williams it will change them, if you don’t, you will never watch his plays in the same way again. Stunning and sure, if you see one thing this summer this should be it!

Summer and Smoke runs from the 13th to the 30th of June at the Southwark Playhouse and tickets can be bought from the website: http://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-vault/summer-and-smoke/

Wow, the Comic Book hero film that I have been waiting for!

Since the start of the Marvel series of films there has been a growing expectation that there would be an Avengers movie made, a chance to see the combined skills of our super hero’s taking on the ultra bad guys against insane odds.

The story itself has elements of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ as our group of gifted individuals are brought together by arch spy Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) to rescue the earth from impending disaster as the dark forces of Chitauri are led by Loci (Tom Hiddlestone) in an attempt to conquer the world and capture the Tesseract an infinite power source.

The film spends time developing background stories for each of the characters and flows effectively to show that alliances built on adversity help form a team capable of responding to the various challenges that an alien invasion will throw at them.

From the start Iron man (Robert Downey Junior) alias Tony Stark genius billionaire and philanthropist is quick witted and sharp tongued constantly goading the benign Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to turn green, this interchange sets a tone of humour that is carried throughout the film with many laugh out loud moments, my favourite being the Hulks disregard for Loki’s status as a ‘God’.

Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) have less flamboyant skills but there casting is good and they are not overshadowed by their more famous team members, and finally Captain America steps into the 21 century with an ease and innocence that makes him a captivating presence on screen.

Like many Sci-Fi cinema fans I have sat through a raft of Comic Book interpretations that have been OK but in the Avengers the good guys beating the bad guys has never looked so good – but still the age old question remains, how does the Hulk keep his pants from ripping?

The Winters Tale is not a Shakespeare play that I was familiar with and equally this was my first experience of the Propeller, all male cast, performing Shakespeare as it would have been seen at the time of its writing.

From this performance I think it is fair to say that neither will become a firm favourite of mine.

This personal opinion not withstanding it was worthy of a good review as the performance as a whole was in parts richly cast with some ingenious moments – the herd of sheep at the shearing high amongst them.

Before the interval the stage was stark and dark and this reflected the mood of the play and indeed the despair of the characters. However this was a play of two definite halves and after the interval the lightness of the set and frivolity of the cast mirrored the change in the telling of the tale which became almost Gilbert and Sullivan simplistic in its unravelling.

It was, without doubt ,a play in which the lesser parts shone; both John Dougal as the Old Shepherd and Karl Davies’ very good performance as the clown like Young Shepherd stood out as did Vince Leigh as the faithful maid Paulina. Tony Bell gave a crowd pleasing performance clad in leather and fur and claimed as his own the majority of the laugh out loud moments.

Whilst I was unsure that using actors instead of actresses served any specific purpose I did appreciate the female stances and gestures adopted by all the actors in female roles particularly those of Richard Dempsey when playing the heavily pregnant Hermione.

For more information about Propeller‘s tour please click here

There’s a sense of foreboding as the house lights go down at the Watermill.

We’re staring at what seems at first a bare stage, backed by a wall of corrugated iron. Eerie sound effects and subdued lighting combine to create an unsettling atmosphere. Any audience members unfamiliar with Steinbeck’s classic story will already sense that we’re not in for a comfortable ride.

The auditorium, an intimate space in a building still bearing many of the original features of a working mill, is an ideal setting for staging this tale, set in rural, Depression-era America. Sitting so close to the action, we feel as if we’re inside the bunkhouse with Steinbeck’s ranch hands.

It’s hard to think of a play more perfectly calibrated to tug at the heart-strings than this one.

David Ganly perfectly conveys the childlike vulnerability of gentle giant Lennie, with his dreams of a life spent tending rabbits, and his ominous knack of getting into trouble. Thomas Padden has just the right hangdog quality as Lennie’s companion, George. He’s weary and  exasperated, but fiercely protective of his friend and hanging on to the hope that they will one day have a piece of land to call their own. Acting performances are strong throughout director Douglas Rintoul’s cast. Along with the two main protagonists, Ian Porter is particularly impressive with his subtle portrayal of Slim, the “prince of the ranch”. This is a man you instinctively know you can trust.

It’s a testament to the strength of this production that, despite knowing how the story will play out, I still find myself absorbed in twists and turns of the plot, suspending disbelief and rooting for Lennie and George as the omens stack up against them. First Lennie accidentally kills a pet mouse he’s been stroking, then the same thing happens to a  puppy he’s given. We learn of how he and George were run out of a town after Lennie touched a woman’s dress and wouldn’t let go.

There’s the mercy killing of a faithful old dog owned by ageing ranch hand Candy.

And then there’s the combustible combination of the pugnacious boss’s son Curley (Tom Berish) and his beautiful young spouse (a seductive portrayal by Siobhan O’Kelly), a character never given a name but only ever referred to as “Curley’s wife”.

Tom Berish, well cast as Curley,  bears a disconcerting resemblance to soccer bad boy Joey Barton.

The production design makes ingenious use of the Watermill’s stage. The space is just 5.5m square but never looks crowded, even when accommodating all six ranch hands, their bunks and a card table. You can sense that the packed audience, which includes  a lively crowd of school pupils, is hanging on every word spoken throughout the show. The play’s climactic final moment brings gasps of shock.

Praise is due not only to the director and cast but also to Hayley Grindle, Paul Anderson and  Helen Anderson who, respectively, designed the show, the lighting and the sound.

Of Mice And Men runs at the Watermill until June 16 and his highly recommended. For more information or to book tickets please click here

Avenue Q is a straight ‘A’ student!

It took me about 5 seconds to overcome my inhibitions at the end, jump to my feet and give this fantastic production a standing ovation. Quite simply brilliant!

Set in a down at heel suburb of New York, Avenue Q was originally destined for TV, however this 2003 surprise Broadway hit, which transferred to The West End in 2006 and then went on tour last year has bought, through an imaginative and irreverent use of puppetry, musicals to an entirely new audience.

Don’t be put off by the puppets, this is no children’s musical! It’s rude, it’s cynical, it’s politically incorrect, it deals with many of the problems of adult life and in doing so pushes the boundaries – but because they are puppets, they get away with it.

The puppets represent both humans and monsters. However there is also a supporting cast of real humans, a Chinese / Japanese bride who came to the USA for ‘opportunity’, a failed comedian and randomly, a grown up ‘Gary Coleman’, the child star of 80’s TV programme ‘Different Strokes’, who is now the handy-man!

The story deals with optimism, which is then dashed, the search for a purpose, the pursuit of love, the fear of commitment and the confusion of sexuality.

PS – it includes the best puppet sex between the two leads, Princeton and Kate Monster that I’ve seen since ‘Team America’!

This Tony Award winning production also has an ‘A-Team’ behind it – Original Concept, Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, Book by Jeff Whitty (Tony Award winner for Best Book of a Musical for Avenue Q), Director Jason Moore, Theatre Royal Bath Productions (UK Tour Producer) and Cameron Mackintosh as the London Producer – the ‘Q’ in Avenue Q stands for quality.

The cast is similarly strong – there wasn’t a weak link in the chain and it would be wrong to single one out over the others. The singing was superb, the comedy timing spot on and the switches between the different puppet characters, seamless.

However, as we are in Salford, I’ve got to give a big thumbs up to 21 year old Sam Lupton who graduated just last year from Manchester School of Theatre. He’s a real talent and played both Princeton and sexually confused Rod brilliantly.

As it’s a musical – I should really let the songs tell the story – the titles should give you a flavour of the type of comedy.

“What do you do with a BA in English?”

“It Sucks to Be Me”

“If You Were Gay (I’d be OK)”

“Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”

“The Internet Is for Porn”

“I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today”

“You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love)”

“My Girlfriend, Who Lives in Canada” – Rod

“There is Life Outside Your Apartment”

The final song is “For Now”, which is ultimately the realisation that living in the present and appreciating what you have got, instead of being discontented and focusing on what you haven’t, is really the best way to live. It was a reminder for us all to live in that moment, in that theatre and enjoy what was a truly great piece of entertainment.

But for me – it’s not just ‘For now’, it’s also for Friday! It’s my husband’s 40th – ssshhh – don’t tell him. I came straight home and booked tickets!

Avenue Q is showing at The Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays from 8th May – 12th May 2012. For more information and to book tickets please click here

Performance Times

* Wed 9 May 19:30

* Thu 10 May 19:30

* Fri 11 May 17:30

* Fri 11 May 20:30

* Sat 12 May 16:00

* Sat 12 May 19:30

What is freedom? What is right? Is there any such thing as a ‘just war’? What is art and what are its uses? These are the sort of questions you might find yourself asking in the course of The Orange Tree’s challenging offering from Allan Monkhouse, The Conquering Hero.

The play begins in the summer of 1914, just as the door was opening on ‘the war to end all wars’, World War I. A family hotly debates the pertinent issues of patriotism, rights, and conscience during warfare, with each family member expressing his or her own particular brand of idealism.  A certain schoolboy excitement at the immediacy of what they are discussing flows through the dialogue, jostling against the philosophical questioning of two of the sons about what becomes of a nation during war.  Is patriotism a flawed concept when war essentially homogenises society into a giant fighting machine? What happens to the culture being protected? And what becomes of the spirituality of that nation?  The dialogue is clever; I found myself almost unable to come down on one side or the other, pulled by the dilemma of whether a man should do what is perceived to be right, or what he thinks is right. But I wondered how much my indecisiveness depended on my lack of clarity over the matter generally.  I wondered how I might feel if I came from a military family, for example, like the one in the play.

I was caught out by the feminine position in this family, portrayed most strongly in a grounded performance by Claudia Elmhirst; seemingly brimming with the merits of the righteous defence of the motherland, it slowly dawned on me that it was her expectation of others she was defending: the romantic notion of the glory of fighting for one’s country and the pride she could feel in her family if they did.  With her father and husband in the army, her own brothers appeared to be letting her down, conscientious objectors, one on religious grounds, which is given surprisingly little attention in the play, but the other on grounds she cannot even understand.  This brother, in an intelligent and perceptive performance by Simon Harrison, is doomed whichever way he turns.  He knows he cannot fight, not for himself as a conscientious objector, or for his country as a soldier.  But he tries both, attempting one way or another to retain some integrity, self respect and identity.

As a story, the play surprises you. The white feather on the programme would suggest it to be a play about conscientious objectors; you might be forgiven for thinking you were in for an evening listening to arguments for and against with little action in between. But it is a demonstrative argument, where, after the first scene, we are shown the debate obliquely, from the perspective of someone who does object but fights nevertheless.  In this way we are left to decide whether objecting to war on principle was a tenable position or not.  It was the last line that got me. The broken, ravaged soul of the soldier comes home in glory, but he cannot feel it. ‘You want rest, my boy, rest’, chirrups his blithe sunbeam of a father played with endearing sensitivity by Paul Shelley. In my heart I knew he’d never be able to rest again.

The play itself is a challenging one, and certainly relevant in terms of the philosophy of war.  And, despite the heavyweight nature of the subject, there is humour, which I hope future audiences won’t be as afraid of expressing as we were.  Some great performances, thought provoking material and a venue I never tire of; all in all a satisfying night.

The Conquering Hero runs at the Richmond Orange Tree Theatre until 9^th June 2012 – for more information or to book tickets please click here or call Box Office 020 8940 3633

It’s that time of year again, the big purple cow has returned to the Southbank, bringing with it a wide array of live entertainment and one show definitely worth a visit is The Vocal Orchestra.

The clue with this show really is in the name. The group, a collection of 7 artists perform an entire medley of songs with nothing but than their voices to portray a whole variety of instruments, vocal styles and editing effects, and the results are mesmerising.

I’m no music expert, but I wouldn’t have thought the acoustics in a giant, inflatable, purple cow would be particularly great, and yet the group manage to make you completely forget your surroundings, creating a symphony so seamless you’d think you were in the best music venue in London.

The show itself comprises of 60 minutes of a well tuned mix of comedy and music. The group showcase their talents by taking the audience on a tour of music through the ages, performing music mash ups from the 1960s, 80s, 90s and even 1773! Their performances are brilliantly timed, often giving you just enough of a song for recognition to kick in before they transform it into the next track, constantly leaving you guessing and drawing you further into their performance. Some songs are performed in full and in these the group really reveal what they can do, beat boxing, singing and harmonising shine in these performances and leave the audience wanting more.

But the real magic of the show lies in the group’s humour. The comedic sketches are brilliantly performed in particular; the battle between the human drum kit and the human turn tables which had the audience cheering within moments. The performers understanding and finely tuned comic timing often have the audience in fits of laughter, this combined with some well chosen iconic theme tunes such as the Rocky training tune create an incredible and memorable show.

If I have one criticism of The Vocal Orchestra it is their use of audience participation. We were often encouraged to clap or sing a simple tune, however these were not then developed into full performance pieces and left us feeling confused. The group’s unwillingness to talk to the audience left us isolated and while I understand this is likely to leave the focus on the music rather than their compere skills it did leave our rather reluctant audience restless and unsatisfied. To their credit however, the group soon realised this and quickly dropped the audience participation in favour of easily recognisable songs which soon had us captivated.

The original orchestra were formed by the infamous beat boxing legend Shlomo, and although Shlomo himself doesn’t make an appearance in this show the talent is none the less astonishing. Each of the performers is remarkably skilled and it is hard to pick who to mention. The beat boxing ability of Grace Savage is truly astonishing, she regularly holds the beat and rhythm of the tunes for the others to work around and it is clear she is an integral part of the group. The range of styles and vocal ability displayed by Billy Boothroyd and Claudia Georgette(Kennaugh) allow the group to move through the eras effortlessly, portraying hundreds of different songs with ease.  The show has something for everyone, featuring big hits from the 60s right the way through to the present day, everyone will find something they love in this performance.  I could not recommend The Vocal Orchestra more.

It’s an eye-catching opening scene. Against a backdrop of hats and coats hanging on pegs, an array of characters come and go in a cleverly choreographed blur of activity. Railway passengers and porters bustle about, hats and coats are donned and discarded, suitcases fly through the air and are deftly caught.

Gradually, the action settles down and we realise we have been watching just three actors, two men and a woman, in a range of different guises. Now they assume the personae of three strangers meeting on a train, travelling from Moscow to Yalta in 1890, and begin to enact a series of  comedic tales…

Love on the Tracks, based on early stories by Anton Chekhov, is written by Richard Attlee, an actor probably best known as Kenton in The Archers. Attlee, who studied Russian at university, says he has aimed to evoke the world of late 19^th century Russia in his play. He also cites more contemporary influences, including Ealing comedies and classic British and American sitcoms. The author appears in the production, directed by Michael Woodwood, alongside fellow performers Paul Bigley and Sioned Jones. The  trio form an impressive ensemble, each portraying numerous different, clearly defined characters.

Attlee has an energetic, very physical stage presence, which contrasts nicely with the more hangdog characterisations of Bigley. The latter has one of those slightly mournful faces that you can’t help watching, and a deft touch with a witty line or telling look. Jones is a warm and engaging performer, with an impressive ability to shift shapes. One moment she’s a strange-looking hag, the next a no-nonsense widow, then a beguiling beauty. The stories, all following an amorous theme, flow seamlessly into one another. Scene and costume changes are handled smoothly by the three performers. The simple but ingenious set sees suitcases serving a variety of functions: a writing desk here, a tray of cakes there…

It’s a play of two halves. The early scenes have a broad, almost cartoonish quality. After the interval, there’s a change in tone and the mood is more reflective, sometimes melancholy, and the humour more subtle.

The final scene provides a satisfyingly heartwarming conclusion, and an answer to the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.

The venue, a delightful converted watermill in rural Berkshire, has a strong record of producing award-winning work, and has enjoyed West End transfers and national and international tours.  This production is here for just a week and then embarks on a busy tour of venues, including many village halls, until early June. The schedule includes a performance at the Greenwich Theatre on May 3.

For more information about the show or the tour please click here

Whilst the Birmingham Rep’s own theatre undergoes reconstructive surgery, the company has used the opportunity to expand their ‘offsite’ programme and produce projects all over the city. One that is definitely worth booking up for is ‘Mustafa’. Co-produced with Kali Theatre Company, the piece was performed at Birmingham MAC and can still be seen at the Manchester Royal Exchange Studio at the end of April.

Written by Naylah Ahmed, the play tells the story of Mustafa, a devout Muslim who has been jailed for the manslaughter of a teenager who died during an exorcism. Within the prison, strange supernatural happenings punish those who mock him and it soon becomes clear that there is more to this man than empirical evidence can explain. Both Mustafa’s ‘Westernised’ solicitor brother and the rule-book abiding prison guards have to decide whether they believe that Mustafa is still battling with the Djinn he exorcised or whether he is a dangerous religious man capable of murder. Munir Khairdin plays Mustafa as controlled and softly spoken, emanating the meditative steadiness of a man attempting to contain a spirit. With something of the raw humanity and prejudice in ‘The Green Mile’, ‘Mustafa’ explores the nature of ‘otherness’, of the fear and suspicion of the unknown.

The play explores what is it to be Muslim in the modern world, comparing the differences between Mustafa and his brother Shabir – one who sought retreats in Pakistan, and the other who adapted his accent and dress for professional acceptance in Britain. The play examines how these men deal with each other’s choices, with non-Muslim assumptions, and with Muslim extremism.

The real highlight performance comes from Paul McClearly who plays Len, the elder prison guard. A good-hearted, down-to-earth Brummie, he finds himself completely ill-equipped to understand a man whose life is operated by the spirit and not the body. Whilst he believes him to be a good man, he does not have the resources to comprehend Mustafa, and the development of their friendship is delicate and moving. There is an on-going conflict between the banality and superficiality of modern life with the depths sought in prayer and spirituality. In one striking and potent juxtaposition, Mustafa goes about his prayers whilst outside his cell the prison guards prattle about ‘Pam’s party’.

The play’s subtle dialogue hints at the universal experience of anyone who categorises themselves as ‘outsiders’. Just as Kali’s raison d’etre is to use the voices of South Asian women to celebrate all diversity, the play encompasses something pertaining to all ‘otherness’ and all spirituality. Rants such as Shabir’s “All that education…all that time spent learning and not one of them even known how to treat another human being” resonate with issues of education, class, race, religion and all the ‘difference’ of the Diaspora.

The production at times tries too hard to pin down the script’s meanings and morals rather than leaving it to the audience’s imagination. However, with subtle, comic dialogue, a fascinating premise and human interest at its heart, ‘Mustafa’ is an exciting example of new writing in Britain. It is a play with enormous scope and imaginings and certainly worth seeing.

Mustafa is on tour and can be seen at Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester 26-28th April 2012 for more information or to book tickets please click here