Hot on the heels of his successful debut last month with his short play 'Something Blue' for 'A Night Of Twisted Tales', Steve Bird brings his own production to the upcoming Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. 'Second Glances' is a series of four fifteen-minute plays reflecting on everyday life through his own eyes. Each play is written by the personable Bird who by his own admission has come to writing later in life. He brings an immediate warmth to the room and has cleverly surrounded himself with a quality team of cast, directors and crew. The venue is sparse with a small taproom area serving craft beers, a studio style raised all black stage and wooden benches for seating.
The room filled up quickly and there was an air of expectation as we waited for the opening play, 'Bus', to arrive. As Man (Nick Browne) settled himself in his seat the tension was broken as soon as Girl#1 (Caitlin Bradley) and Girl#2 (Bethany George) strode through the audience to mount the stage. Under the excellent direction of Bryony Thomas they were the embodiment of stroppy schoolgirls. Bradley took the lead beautifully as she harangued poor businessman Browne before accusing him of touching her leg while urging a reluctant George to back her up. The writing is fresh and made believable by the performance of the innocent Browne who is drawn further in by a distracted woman passenger played by Emily J Carter who takes the girls’ side and calls the police. We watched in horror as the story unfolded to a second scene back at the girl’s home where her parents were waiting for the businessman to seal a deal that will save the family finances. The play ends with a further twist…it’s a big one. Alan Kenny plays a terrific dad Paul and credit must also go to casting for Pam Ashton as Margie who acted and even looked like the girl’s mum.
'Bus' has the most potential of the four plays for development and it would be good to see the team and the writer tackle this in a bigger production. The twist in the tale theme continued throughout each play and Bird has mastered the art of surprise. The two hander, 'Sweet Old World', brought a change in pace with Bethany George reappearing as cider drinking, cigarette smoking Nikki who is talked down from a rooftop ledge by banker, Dave (Greg Vicary). The contrast between the two unfolded through a series of exchanges in a clever script but it was their physicality that carried it. Bryony Thomas once again directed a nuanced performance, including Dave going for a handshake against Nikki’s fist pump, and with great use of movement across the simple stage. George was outstanding as troubled young woman Nikki with Vicary, who has leading man potential, holding back until revealing his troubled own story. The twist was in but this is a Bird play and he keeps you involved until the very last word with an exquisite cameo performance from Pam Ashton as the janitor.
'Dancing With Catherine' was a surprise with director turned actor Bryony Thomas taking on the role of carer Katy to elderly Stan (Andrew C Husband). Thomas plays well off the experienced Husband who tells a beautiful story from his armchair that reveals his advancing dementia. Director Rachael Smart keeps the action moving with a busy Katy bustling about the sparse set and saves what could have been a static two hander. This is a complete, moving and ultimately a love story…with a twist.
'Kid Gloves' brought the final bout with Greg Vicary as cocky, boxing hopeful, The Kid set to fight Mad Dog Daniels. Student director Sarah Gould showed great promise, giving the actors space to deliver their lines while keeping good focus and pace. Vicary held his own in a confident performance that showed he was no match for Mad Dog. Set in the pre-match changing room, Bird brings banter and locker room humour to the stage with some hilarious observations delivered in knock out style by Sandy (Alan Kenny), ‘They call him Rembrandt, he’s never off the canvass’. Kenny puts in an understated performance that fools everyone while Nick Browne delivered the hilarious twist in a brief appearance as Barney the corner man. Never offensive, Bird’s humour caught the audience off guard and it was a fitting piece to bring the production to a close.
Although the theme was life experiences it would have been good to see a through-line to the plays to link the performances together for the audience. Perhaps Dave (Sweet Old World) could have been the man’s brother (Bus) and Katy (Dancing With Catherine) his wife. There is potential for development and Bird has hit on a crowd-pleasing format that grows audiences and also gives both experienced and up-coming artists and technicians an opportunity to showcase their talent (the sound and background music was excellent). Congratulations to the fantastic team in turning the barest of spaces into a thrilling theatrical experience.
Reviewer - Barbara Sherlock
on - 7/6/19
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