Blue Jay is being performed at Hope Street Theatre in Liverpool, which has approximately 100 seats and is situated in one of the back rooms of The Masonic building. It’s a lovely building, full of character and beautiful architecture. The theatre is available to hire to both professional and non-professional theatre companies. The theatre is extremely adaptable as the staging and seating can incorporate any play layout, which was suitable for Blue Jay. The theatre has since become a community hub for local writer groups and Open Mic Nights too.
Blue Jay was produced, directed and written by Bri Mansy. He has done an incredible job managing to do all three jobs himself. His dedication, enthusiasm and hard-work were clearly demonstrated in the play. Transgender issues are such a delicate subject to get right and I sensed a lot of research had been done previously. The narrative was extremely raw and hard-hitting at times. The narrative never shied away from difficult situations, which transgender people daily face, which was really refreshing to see and added realism and authenticity to the story. There were other issues, which were touched on in Blue Jay such as self-harm, grief and homelessness.
The cast consisted of two main characters, Stevie (Connor Kelly) and Grace (Ceri Bellis Grace). There were a few minor characters including Dave (Kieron Duane), Timmy (Lewis Deon Stelfox), the busker (Daisy Gill), the dancer (Jade Contini), the waitress and homeless girl (both played by Rebecca Bryan).
The story of Blue Jay opened, when Stevie, a transgender teenager, was contemplating suicide. Thankfully, he was saved by a stranger, Grace, who met him by chance. During their conversation later on, Stevie gradually confided in Grace about his abusive childhood and difficulties he was currently experiencing. Inevitably, they both realised they can help each other though their grief and loneliness. Stevie was a very troubled soul, who Grace could offer him guidance and wisdom. Blue Jay was set somewhere in Liverpool, with the beautiful backdrop of Albert Dock displayed on the visual projector screen.
The chemistry and dynamics between Stevie and Grace were a joy and pleasure to watch. Grace was the sympathic one, who was helping Stevie as much as she possibly could. She was dealing with rhe grief of her daughter, Joy. On the other hand, Stevie was extremely troubled and brilliantly displayed all the raw emotions he was feeling during the play. He got in his character really well and showed us the journey he was going through.
I thought kelly’s portrayal of Stevie was excellent, as his performance was powerful and he added hidden depths to his character. He played a very difficult character, with so many issues. The show started very dark at the beginning, but as the play progressed, the mood became happier as Stevie found who he was.
SFX was utilised very early on in Blue Jay, when the backdrop of The Albert Dock and the railway crossing were on the visual graphics. There was a good use of noises in the background with the birds and waves of the River Mersey could be heard. It added to the atmospheric surroundings of the scenes.
The characters' costumes in the play were good, attention to detail was noticeable, when Stevie put the blue dress on. The set design was minimal, but very practical for the number of the scenes in the play. There were a few props, but only visible, when the character needed them. The scene transitions were done so smoothly and effectively, by Kieron Duane and Lewis Deon Stelfox. The same applies to the props, which were moved swiftly between the scenes of the play.
Lighting was utilised really well throughout the production. Some early scenes were very dark, but as the play developed, the lighting became brighter. I thought the lighting effects used for the train were good. The contrasts between darkness worked incredibly well, considering the subject issues covered in the show. Sound was good as all dialogue and songs could be heard.
Music played a huge part in Blue Jay, as a few songs were either sung and performed on stage. Special mention to Daisy Gill, who performed 'Take Your Time' in the show. Her vocals and performance on the stage were amazing. The song choices were relevant to all the scenes in the play. I particularly liked the American Song, which was played out, when Stevie was transiting and freely danced on the stage. A very touching moment, as Stevie became the person he always wanted to be. The choreography of the dance moves of Stevie and the dancer were good.
I would highly recommend you go and see Blue Jay, it’s a great narrative with two very interesting characters, who put in incredible performances and handled transgender issues genuinely and realistically. The play made you weep one moment, then laugh the next. A brilliant show that displayed all the emotions and the journey Stevie went through to find out, who he was. An absolute pleasure to see the show, really hope the play is extended and further shows are announced as the show definitely needs to be shown to a wider audience.
Reviewer - Mark Cooper
on - 30/5/19
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