From As You Do Theatre Productions, ‘Unbreakable’ sees a doting couple, Kath and Josh (played by Eve Gordon and Dany Clifford), moving into their first home together. Despite their love for one another, their concerns about finances and their halted careers cause tensions. Kath is an artist struggling to sell her paintings and Josh is a boxer who lacks the ambition to fully commit. When Kath is introduced back into the world of drugs by her confident and care-free friend Sarah, played by Natalie Jones, we witness her rapid fall from grace as her dependency takes hold and she will do whatever it takes to acquire the drugs she needs.
Written by Danny Clifford, who also wrote ‘From Heaven To Hell’, which showed at last year’s Manchester Fringe Festival, this play delves deep into the Mancunian world of drugs, and in particular, Spice. Praise must go to Clifford for tackling Manchester’s drug problem head-on. An ambitious play that attempts to tell its audience a lot in its short 65 minute run. Because of this, we were subjected to a lot of short scenes, in-between which there were blackouts and silence to give the actors time to set up for the following scene. This style of script is more suited to film, as the waiting between scenes took the energy and momentum from the production, which is a shame as we were invested in the characters, and in particular Kath’s decline in health and stability. This production really deserves a full length script to give the time necessary to the story.
All of the actors must be commended, but in particular the female performances seemed to steal the show here. Eve Gordon portrayed Kath’s addiction with a believability that never seemed forced or faked. The complex emotions required here seemed not to faze Gordon, she appeared uncomfortable in her own skin as she was filled with both guilt and shame on stage. The audience both saw and felt her struggle. Natalie Jones played Sarah as more than just the friend. Her larger-than-life personality came across in the first few lines, but she also portrayed a fear and desire for love, creating a believable, three dimensional character.
Directed by Karl Koo, it is clear why he chose a very limited set, with only three chairs on stage throughout. The fast paced and naturalistic script demanded this, but also, this is a production about relationships and so the actors were required to carry the play on the stage.
This is definitely an important play to watch at this year’s Manchester Fringe Festival. Although it was perhaps trying to give its audience too much in its limited running time, the themes are handled well and with care. It is worth watching this production for the wonderful performances and well-rounded characters created by Danny Clifford.
Reviewer - Megan Relph
on - 11/7/19
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