“The Stretch” was originally part of the 2018 JB Shorts production where it was a 15 minute play. It has since evolved into a 1 hour production and has been developed by award winning TV scriptwriter Joe Ainsworth, who has written many episodes of Brookside in his time as well as Holby City and Merseybeat. Add to this director Simon Naylor and you have a very well anticipated production at the brilliant local theatre that is 53Two.
The main character is Lee (James Lewis) who was convicted of murder and sentenced to 8 years in prison. The setting is Walton Prison in Liverpool, described as “the worst prison in the country” by one of the background characters as Lee entered the prison flanked by a mean looking prison guard. It is here that we first heard from Lee – an optimistic monologue as he protests his innocence, talks of an appeal and a release back into his normal daily life.
The set is simple but very effective. It is made from bare scaffolding with some platforms that allow the actors to move in and out of view very easily. The scaffolding has wire netting in between the bars which gives it much more of a prison feel and there are bunkbeds laid out as you might expect in a cell, coupled with wash basin and large steel bucket that plays the part of the not at all private prison toilet. There is also a TV screen which shows mostly stills of a prison but at various times during the play it shows how time has moved on in the years Lee has been incarcerated.
As the story unfolds, there are various states of mind for Lee as he comes to terms with being in prison. At first he maintains the optimism with which he arrived but as the years move along he becomes more and more tormented. The music that accompanies this torment is particularly engaging as the volume increases and the actors in the play wear full head masks covering their faces and simulate the demons in Lee’s mind through the form of dance – such an effective way to demonstrate this.
Every part of this production hits the desired impact, it has humour that has the audience laughing at just the right time but it has hard-hitting emotional scenes. An example of this was the moment when Lee finds out that his mother has died – you could feel the tension in the audience as we bought into every action and every word spoken. It is after this that his time in prison deteriorates significantly – the realisation that he is no longer in control of what happens in the outside world. It is the spark for him to get involved in drugs as his sentence is extended by 2 years for trying to smuggle them back into the prison after the funeral.
The scene that stands out more than any other is where the wife of Lee’s victim comes to visit, confronting him about the devastation he has caused in the lives of her and her children. There is a poignant reading of a letter from one of those children that she starts to read and Lee ends up finishing in an emotional finale of guilt, realisation of what his actions on that fateful night have since caused and most importantly full and total remorse. The journey from the cocky optimism 10 years earlier, the bitterness in between that has robbed him of 10 years of his life and finally the recognition that his 10 years pales into insignificance of the lifetime he has taken away from the wife and children of the innocent man he killed.
“The Stretch” is a rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout and is filled with a mixture of superb acting performances, not only from James Lewis but also from the whole supporting cast, magnificent script writing and brilliantly choreographed dance routines. It is hard to think of a production I have seen recently that gave me so much to admire and provoked so much thought – I also love that this was home grown in the local area and I sincerely hope that this gets to be seen all around the country.
Reviewer - John Fish
on - 7/3/18
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