Silly and surreal is how I’d describe tonight’s performance in a positive way. It was an engrossing premise for this mini-play: two things, a forest and a disco, usually not associated with one another were merged together in this children’s piece of theatre. Nevertheless, the writer Jackie Hagan made it work. When it comes to play writing, Hagan tells it like it is in this Contact Theatre production at Manchester's Hope Mill.
Things were mysterious and sad in the forest because everyone had forgotten about dancing, flashing lights, and disco. The disco appeared to be a metaphor for inner happiness and spirit. Even Alexa (a nod to the trendy technological device) the virtual assistant from the Amazon rainforest (witty indeed) didn’t know why this was the case. The children, sat on stage on comfy cushions, were introduced to Bear Hug, a flatulent bear with a secret; Bear Minimum, who just couldn’t keep her bedroom clean; and Bear Grills (again loved it) who was energetic, bouncy, but slightly on edge. All of a sudden Red, a seven year old, fearless girl, fell into this fantasy world like a leaf from a tree. They all had one thing connecting them: they had been abandoned. Red was about to change the Bears' lives forever.
Sophie Coward played Alexa with an infectious, adorable energy and avidity. Spot on for the predominately young audience. Every time she said: “Bear Boogie” or “Bear Paws”, you couldn’t help but smile. Hilariously, she called out on an audience member who was trying to take a photograph during the show (when he shouldn’t have been) by getting him to show his “Bear Paws”. That told him! All of her improvised dialogue at the start was free flowing.
Every member of the cast captured the personable and “sugary sweet” performance style. They measured their performance energy just right against the intimacy of the Hope Mill Theatre space. This was an inclusive performance integrating British sign language into character’s movements. It was fascinating to see how the cast worked with the deaf actress Ali Briggs. Everyone’s exaggerated facial expressions taught the children it’s okay to express how you’re really feeling.
Designer, Katharine Heath had come up with a forest set which looked like a play area or play crèche. It was wonderfully bizarre. Toys including slinkies were hanging from trees. You then had these big baked beans' cans and a supermarket trolley lying around. Again, going with the theme of abandonment but also a potential comment on littering the natural environment. The mismatch design of the costumes reflected characters’ personalities and screamed the personal message of standing out from the crowd.
A disco was bound to happen at the end, and the variety of disco lights in the theatre generated a joyous ending to the show. Theatre turned into a disco at the flick of a switch – no longer were we watching the actors in a play, we watched everyone participate in a disco. It became a celebration of Christmas and the diversity of people we come across in life.
Reviewer – Sam Lowe
on - 13/12/18
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