REVIEW: The Orange Peel - Waterside, Sale, Manchester.

'The Orange Peel', running on the 25th and 26th April at Sale's Waterside Theatre, is an intimate piece of thought-provoking, yet peculiar, art. I have attended the theatre since I was 3 years old on a regular basis, therefore I have enjoyed a wide variety of shows and plays and I admit this is one of the strangest plays I have seen.

As a small group of just 14 audience members, which became 9 following the interval, we felt a part of the increasingly uncomfortable family dinner party which delved into the taboo subjects of power, sex, and class. Interestingly, what the new definition of class is in modern society was explored, as Michael (Karl Falconer) argues he can be both working class and yet have a degree and write for a living, as opposed to ‘breaking his back in the soil’ like the traditional view of the working class male. This highlights that ‘class’ as we know it today is infinitely more complex than in the past.

The Chambers theatre at Sale Waterside is a small performance area which forces the audience to connect with the characters more. However, this closeness to the stage added to the intensity- and at sometimes awkwardness during certain scenes. The set was stripped back to basics which I am grateful for; as the play was difficult to understand at times, therefore the simplicity of the set allowed the audience to be attentive to the point the dialogue was making. My criticism of the set is the projector screen in the background, as this was extremely distracting and had no real connection to the play.

Karl Falconer was the stand-out performer of the show, as well as its writer, in his role as Michael, a self-proclaimed Liverpudlian ‘failed writer’ attending his sister’s dinner-party. In my opinion, there were many parallels between Michael’s character and that of Psycho’s Norman Bates; his obsession with his mother (coupled with the desperate need to replicate this maternal care from other relationships), and his bursts of anger when other men threaten his bond with the women in his life. The interactions between Michael and Harry (Jack Spencer), his brother-in-law, were well performed as the relationship between the pair became progressively volatile.

Michael’s sister, Dani (Rhea Little) was often caught in the middle of arguments during the dinner party and insisted they all should “try and get along” and “make the best out of a bad situation”. Towards the end of the play Dani was literally and physically pulled in all directions as she was tossed from person to person. This was indicative of her draw between her roots and the new life she had made with Harry. Nevertheless, this tug-of-war lasted far too long in my opinion and was extremely distressing to watch; as I became less focused on the character’s dilemma, instead more focused on the pain the actress must have been in. Despite this, Rhea Little maintained composure.

Michael’s distant and promiscuous wife Rebecca (Phoebe Jakober) was admittedly very uncomfortable to watch, whether this was intentional I am unsure, yet I found myself cringing at her unusual lines and her monologues were complex and did not resonate as poignant.

Overall, 'The Orange Peel' was an interesting piece of modern theatre- emphasis on modern as the age-old issues of wealth and identity were flung into millennial age, even Amazon’s Alexa made an appearance!

Reviewer - Amelia McLaughlin
on - 25/4/19