Sunday 16 September 2018

REVIEW: Adult Interactive filming of The Witches - Z-Arts Centre, Manchester.




Make a Scene Film Club is, in their own words, a big gay film club that plays camp classics and LGBT cinema to friends of Dorothy and their friends, exploring their queered take on film, TV and pop culture.

Yet this is no ordinary film club – enhanced with drag interventions, audience participation, props, lighting and sound effects and impromptu interjections this film club was a sing-along /cabaret / fancy dress competition / comedy show / panto / film screening extravaganza! Interactive screening simply does not cover what took place this evening!

This was Make A Scene’s first venture in the Z-Arts Centre and their largest venue so far, having aired previous showings of the likes of Home Alone, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Little Shop of Horrors and marathon viewing events dedicated to Victoria Wood, Nighty Night or showing the Oscars live in venues around Manchester City Centre.

The growing success of these events was evidenced by the large numbers that attended The Witches – the theatre was almost filled to capacity, but a larger marker of their success, in my opinion, was that plenty of the audience were dressed up in granny drag and were practically swinging from the roof with excitement from start to finish.

The Witches was shown to mark Roald Dahl Day and a family friendly screening was also shown that afternoon. It was well attended with many children and included face painting and other workshops.

For the evening show, which was certainly not family friendly, some of the audience had also paid for a prosecco high tea experience in the wonderful theatre bar (or should I say the Hotel Excelsior?) and by appearances all seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. Our hostess for the evening, drag queen Grace Oni Smith, gave us all a rather grand welcome from the sweeping staircase and she certainly looked the part, fashioning herself as the Grand High Witch. As we entered the theatre there was certainly a great amount of excitement – even for the faithful followers of Make A Scene, there is always a wonder about what will take place and I must say that it is hard indeed to describe all that happened.

After all were seated and ushered, it was made very clear that we were NOT to be a quiet audience and heckling, booing and joining in with the dialogue on screen was much encouraged. The hosts Gary and Grace ad-libbed as a hilarious comedy duo while giving some instructions, talking us through some trailers and adding some thoughts on the film we were about to watch.

The film began and the fun ensued – some scenes were simultaneously acted out by what you might call cast members and selected audience members who had dressed up for the night. The mimicry on stage was very effective, adding humour and queer insights.

There were some moments of depth – while it was in humour that the audience and cast members were all ‘cast’ as witches and we, the audience, wanted to kill all children and we all agreed that children smelt like doggy droppings, using Roald Dahl’s words, the fact that, in Dahl’s book, the witches lived among us, and disguised themselves to blend in mirrored so many LGBT experiences. Trans representation was also pointed out through noting the male actors in the film who were cast as witches. While these might have been thought provoking moments, they were presented with great, queer humour and the audience howled, indeed cackled with glee.

It’s hard to know what to expect from each event that Make A Scene puts on, but I would advise that if you really want to peacefully watch the film or TV show being screened, this is not the event for you – audience heckling, interaction from the cast will make you miss parts of what is being screened, so it is worth watching in advance if you can. This is not a criticism in any way – it’s just the nature of the event.

Make A Scene aim to live through the experience of a film or show that has some resonance with the LGBT community with an explosion of commentary, a song and a dance and a right knees-up. Expect chaos, irreverence and to laugh all night long.

Make A Scene will be showing Cabaret in the near future. I would advise to get your tickets quickly as they are likely to sell out.

Reviewer - Aaron Loughrey
on - 15/9/18

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