MIW Productions offers a five week Make It Write ‘Theatre Makers’ programme that brings new writers and directors together to produce a show programme of six short plays, each lasting fifteen minutes. The theme for this season was ‘a sting in their tale’. The course was lead by Kiefer Wes Williams and produced by Sharon Colpman and it is to their credit that they achieved a full theatre production given the short time-frame. The dedication and enthusiasm of the writing and production team is palpable as each play takes centre stage and they see their work brought to life. Actors were brought in and auditioned from friends and acquaintances as writers were encouraged to make and use their personal contacts to engage with the project. Never has the phrase ‘from the page to the stage’ seemed more appropriate. Liverpool’s Hope Street Theatre was the ideal space for such work and provided a comfortable and welcoming backdrop to showcase the talent on offer. It was a bold move to place the action in front of the sold-out audience with minimal spotlighting, sound and props. Each of the plays were fully exposed with nowhere to hide as the performers interpreted their individual pieces under the instructions of first-time directors. It was a case of there’s your stage and off you go…and how they rose to the challenge!
‘Wrong Place, Right Time’, written by Gaelle Vidal, kicked us off with an enormous, unsubtle inflatable mobile phone and a blood-spattered blow-up doll representing a murder victim. The crime comedy follows a hapless female police officer who is mistaken for a police crime inspector (Jess Bayley) and joins with a local female officer (Christine Corser) to investigate a Merseyside serial killer. The murderer is known as, ‘The Umbrella Killer’, as they are never seen on CCTV because they always use an umbrella to shade their face. The stage continued to fill with blow-up dolls/bodies until the final twist in the tale is revealed. The comedy is there, if a little slow at first and relies heavily on props. Littered with local and current social references (a Greggs vegan sausage roll gives a vital clue), Danny Treanor directs the action and the two women play off each other well as they navigate the ridiculous plot. It’s all good tongue-in-cheek fun.
‘Hello…I’m Here…Don’t Leave Me Alone’, took a darker turn as writer Kate Bannon explored the little-known syndrome of selective mutism, a severe anxiety disorder that leaves people unable to speak because of fear or phobia. Director Mark Kyle chose to put Lisa (Sheddie Broddle) under a single spotlight for most of the piece, fully exposed to both the criticism of her friend Susan (Gill Lewis) and the audience. Broddle handled, Lisa’s lengthy monologue exceptionally well as she displayed her condition and her negative experiences while trying to both explain and overcome her disability. This lead to a static piece reminiscent of a TED Lecture heavily reliant on telling rather than showing that reflected the seriousness of the subject matter.
‘Sitting On A Bomb’, took us to Flanders where photographer Alex (Adrienne Baker) had a stilted reunion with actor Tom (Joe Matthew Morris) after a fifteen-year separation. There was a storm and a WW1 unexploded bomb to contend with in a confusing plot that involved the actors also taking on the personas of two people Evie and Eddie in a 1917 photograph. The denouement provided the requisite twist in the tale in a shocking revelation of both the couple’s relationship and the reason for their separation. Director Danny Treanor did a good job in navigating the twists and turns of writer Pauline Morris’s script with Joe Morris putting in a strong performance as Tom/Eddie.
The second half brought a change in pace with ‘Something Blue’ by Steve Bird. This was much more in keeping with a traditional play with plenty of stage action, great use of set and props and character interaction. Excellent direction by Jay Lally provided the two actors with a strong framework and good pace as they played mother Rose (Kimberley Ford) and daughter Ruby (Erin Joy Laffan) on the eve of Rose’s wedding to the doctor who treated her husband, Ruby’s father, before he died. There was plenty of entertaining tension and conflict mixed with humour before the twist in the tale was trumped by an even greater twist.
‘900 Seconds On A Death’, by Angela Langley was another tale of twists and turns opening with the audience listening to a one-sided phone call between two women that explained a male relative had died. The two women, initially appearing to be sisters, were clearly in conflict. Christine Corser returned to the stage as Barbara for this fifteen-minute monologue that took the audience on her harrowing journey as the much younger wife of a controlling, verbally and physically abusive husband. Shocking at times, Langley holds nothing back and managed to tell a complete tale within the timeframe. Corser excels as Barbara who worked in a pharmacy disposing of unwanted drugs. Director Michelle Parker showed a flair for the stage by using movement and facial expression to keep the audience on their toes and turn the script from what could be a strong radio drama into a thrilling short play.
The programme ended with a two-hander prison drama by Sean McMahon. ‘Full Disclosure’, focussed on a meeting between prison Nurse Patrick (Shaun O’Connor) and inmate David Hunter (Mycroft Milverton) ostensibly to discuss Hunter’s welfare and check his medication. Director Michelle Parker once again managed to bring the script to life by combining the dialogue with gestures as we concentrate on a small table with two, for the most part, seated actors. At first laid back then at times menacing Milverton used his large frame to full advantage as the tables were turned on the indiscreet Nurse Patrick who suspected a new prisoner was a paedophile.
All the scripts showed attention to detail and considerable research. The performances highlighted the need for consideration for the audience in addition to strong storylines that make the difference between a written tale and a play. The audience workshop format is an excellent tool for any playwright or director and this group of new writers and directors have been provided with a great platform to showcase their work as they learn their craft.
Reviewer - Barbara Sherlock
on - 20/5/19
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