Common Lore is a creative, narrative-driven piece of one-woman performance theatre. Commissioned by 'Spot On Lancashire' and produced in association with Northern Broadsides, this piece aims to 'bridge the gap' in dwindling theatre audiences. There are thousands of TIE and children's theatre shows which cater for pre-school, primary, and even 11 - 13 age ranges; similarly, adult shows are ten-a-penny. However, there is precious little to entice the modern older teen into coming to the theatre, and there are very few shows written especially with that age group in mind.
Scarlet (Sophia Hatfield) is 18 years old and disenchanted and at odds with the world around her. She has a different perspective on the way things should run. She is not alone; she is just one of many thousands of people of a similar age who feel unable to 'fit-in' or communicate with society. Nothing new there, it happens every generation. However, what is perhaps different is that society has technologically and intelligently taken huge leaps forward over the last few decades, but perhaps has failed to change in our sociological and political behaviours to the same extent; thus making today's youths and young people more angry and more square pegs in round holes than before.
Scarlet loves her grandma, and visits her often. Her grandma represents the old, the stable, the unchangeable. The 'knit one, pearl one' society. But it is her grandma's stability that roots Scarlet's desires for change and acceptance. Scarlet's mobile phone therefore - used constantly throughout - becomes the symbol for the modern, the new, the changing, the young.
Hatfield delivers her hour-long monologue with punch and vitality; with earnestness and clarity. Yes, majority of the piece is also in rhyme too! I was almost expecting this to turn into rap, which it didn't and perhaps (just an idea) it might work better if some of it did. especially since Hatfield is a competent musician and singer. The piece is punctuated throughout by her music sampling. Using microphone, violin and her voice she creates live the backing-tracks for each of the short songs she sings. Perhaps extending one or two of these a little into a more youth-oriented musical medium such as rap would have felt more 'authentic'. As good as this piece is, is does come across a little 'twee' and 'girlie' - and I am sure that's not what the intention was.
This impression is not helped by the fact that there are a few 'fairy stories' told within the piece. I am still uncertain what the relevance and need for two of them were, but they were told with a more modern Scarlet-ised twist with music and poetry.
It is Hatfield's energy and commitment to this piece though which holds your attention. A hugely vital actress delivering an urgent and yet controlled piece. The message at the end is clear; despite the fact that the old and the young live different lives with different thoughts, needs and objectives - we still occupy the same piece of earth; therefore let's not judge anyone by their age, their status, their looks, their beliefs, and instead find ways of sharing our knowledge and live together in understanding and acceptance. It's a good message for the late teens target audience.
I was going to leave the review there; however, as an addendum to this, I shall just relate my tram journey home from the theatre this afternoon. Two young boys were using the grip-handles playing monkeys the entire journey, whilst a group of teenage Asian boys sat there loudly shouting to each other carelessly flaunting the no-smoking regulations on the trams by passing round two E-Vape cigarettes, and two young girls ran up and down the tram aisle playing 'Tig'. Sometimes it is very hard to have patience with and understanding for the young!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 6/10/18
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