'Shakers' is a professional theatre production, which is being performed alongside several other shows at The Liverpool Theatre Festival, at St. Luke's Bombed-Out Church in the heart of Liverpool.Tonight’s show was another sell out, proving just how popular this festival is, even the slight downpour of rain didn’t put audiences off arriving in their masses. The venue was Covid secure as all the necessary precautions were taken to ensure the smooth running of the guests' safety. Social distance measures were in place and temperatures taken on arrival.
Now on with the show, 'Shakers' was produced by Siobhan Marie and RTB. The production values were really good and were clearly noted in the show. It was directed by Margaret Connell, whose passion was demonstrated throughout this show written with humour, empathy and drama by John Godber and Jane Thornton.There was a lot of compassion for people working in the hospitality industry and the daily struggles they regularly face. The dialogue flowed swiftly with authenticity and precision.
The cast of 'Shakers' included Alice Bunker-Whitney as Adele, Danielle McLauren as Carol, Isobel Balchin as Mel and finally, Jennifer Vaudrey as Nicky. All the girls played their roles superbly by adding different layers to their characters and versatility to their given roles. The acting was of a very high standard too.
'Shakers' is set in a trendy, upmarket cocktail bar in a city centre location somewhere. We, the audience get a good glimpse of the goings on behind the bar through the eyes of the four long-suffering waitresses. Additionally, we got to see the characters outside their workplace, when they went out drinking at other bars and shopping together. Working in the hospitality industry myself, I could instantly resonate with the characters so well.
'Shakers' gives an extremely honest and realistic look into the world of the waitresses. There were multiple comical incidents and situations that the waitresses found themselves in, this provided a lot of comedy. A funny scene that I particularly liked in the show was, when the male customers arrived, trying their hardest to woo the waitresses, without any success.
The running themes in 'Shakers' were working relationships, drama, friendship and emotion. The narrative of the show did an excellent job conveying the lovely flow of conflict, laughter, friction and entertainment. The comedy timing, hysterical situations, and the dialogue was delivered brilliantly with facial expressions in certain scenes of the show. I really liked how all the actresses were given equal exposure to showcase their many skills. The actresses did a great job giving all the various characters they played, with a different personality traits, mannerisms and looks.
The technical team, Gareth Edwards and Osian Griffiths did an incredible job with all the lighting and sound aspects of Shakers. I particularly liked how the spotlight was utilised to it’s potential and gave all the actresses an opportunity to highlight their characters' struggles and predicaments.
Finally, if you’re looking for some comedy, then 'Shakers' is the show for you. The show highlighted just how difficult customers can be in real life and took you on a humourous journey showing how the waitresses get through their daily shifts.'Shakers' is just one of several shows being performed at The Liverpool Theatre Festival, which has such a diverse array that there is something for everyone.
Reviewer - Mark Cooper
on - 15/9/20
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