Up ‘Ere Productions are at it again, helping to ‘keep theatre alive’ through live Zoom performances, with tickets priced at ‘pay what you can’, and all the money raised going towards keeping theatre alive. This week’s Weekly Watch brought us something different once again, proving that Up ‘Ere are never short of new ideas. This Sunday evening’s performance brought us a modern take on the famous ‘Talking Heads’ monologues by Alan Bennett, with eight fresh, new, 15 minute monologues streamed straight to your living rooms.
The monologues themselves were very well chosen and all brought a perfect balance of ordinary and extraordinary, where on their surface they tell the tale of a woman working in a supermarket or one man’s Zoom quizzes with work. But in reality they encompass so much more; revealing themes of loneliness, loss and heartache. The monologue choices also represented a wide range of voices from different age brackets, genders and classes. We were successfully shown a real slice of each characters’ life in a short space of time.
The actors also encompassed the monologue stylings of Bennett’s ‘Talking Heads’ with their natural, conversational tones. As a viewer, I felt invited into their worlds instantly and listening to their words became thoroughly enjoyable.
One performance that stood out to me due to strong writing, direction and acting was titled ‘Tilling’; written by Sean Everett, directed by Dominic Stephenson and performed by Steve Connolly. This was the only monologue that changed location throughout the performance and was based in a location other than inside a house. The piece was performed outside, where we were treated to Connolly’s gardening skills as well as his performance skills. Despite losing a couple of lines to the strong wind, this performance moved me and the happy coincidence of mother nature bringing rain to the scene as Connolly began talking about crying over the loss of his mother only heightened this further.
Another very strong stand-out performance was brought to us by Ben Hynes, titled ‘Love Lockdown’. Written by Luke Ofield and directed by Hannah Roze-Lewis, this performance developed and deepened, whilst maintaining a good level of humour throughout. In this performance, we were shown the highs and lows of a man living on his own throughout Covid-19; from developing an unhealthy relationship with his plant, ‘Fern Cotton’, to weeping inexplicably and drunk calling his ex.
The remaining six pieces must, however, be commended also due to the high level of professionalism achieved in such a short space of time; creating fully-rounded and well-rehearsed performances. ‘A Fault On The Line’, about an older woman who despises the use of technology but finds she must use it due to lockdown, performed by Pat Brocklehurst, directed by John O’Neill and written by Sally Lewis. ‘Getting Stuck Into 2020’, featuring a father who must say goodbye to his football-crazed daughter, performed by Oliver Devoti, directed by Parvinder Shergill and written by Chris Holt. ‘Sleeping Like A Budgie’, about a woman working nights at a supermarket throughout lockdown, performed by Joyce Branagh, directed by Aimee Shields and written by Mitesh Soni. ‘To Have And To Hold’, in which Joanne Dakin portrays a woman who just wants the touch of a stranger in a supermarket; directed by James Scofield and written by Pageen Murphy. ‘Steve Brookstein’, a monologue written by Stefanie Moore, in which Kasey Christian shows us a character working in the funeral industry, directed by John-Mark Reid. And ‘Jigsaw’, written by Beth Nolan, directed by Paul Worrall and performed by David Carpenter, which tells the tale of a foster child joining the family.
The only criticism to be found here is with live technology, as a few lines were lost due to connectivity issues and audience members unmuting at times. However, in live theatre a cough or a whisper can often have the same effect, so this is easily forgiven. Overall, we were treated to a wonderful and poignant evening of live theatre.
Reviewer - Megan Relph
on - 6/7/20
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