It's opening night, and the first live production for Mikron Theatre Company (or indeed the vast majority of us) since March 2020, and understandably we were all a little nervous, but excited. It's an open-air production, performed in the grand courtyard of Halifax's Piece Hall (an architectural masterpiece in itself), and despite having brought coats, hats, blankets etc, it was surprisingly blowy and as the evening porgressed the clouds threatened rain (fortunately we suffered only a few ineffectual drops which only added to the gritty atmosphere of the play).
It seems that there was a lot riding on the success of this evening's production: not only was it opening night and press night, but the writer (Amanda Whittington), and director (Marianne McNamara) were also in attendence. The nerves and apprehensions seemed to be getting the better of our four intrepid performers at the very start.. it was a little uninspiring and shaky. Mind you, the opening song and historical information about women's football didn't truly inspire or help to gear us all up. I have to admit to being a tad disappointed at first - I am absolutely no fan of football nor do I know anything about the sport, and so my heart sank when I at first (wrongly) thought that the opening sequence was going to be the tenure for the entire play.
Fortunately as the four performers got into their stride and started to enjoy themselves, the play got better, a lot better. And the writing was infused with just enough comedy for the director to skillfully work this into her plan for the piece making what will become after another couple of runs, giving the show time to 'bed in', a hugely enjoyable, slick and entertaining couple of hours (even if like me, you are a footballophobe!).
The play starts just after the First World War with many contemporary references and mores dominating the storyline (with the very occasional, but clever, 'aside' to us, the audience, adding a modern reference too just for good measure). And what makes this play perhaps a little more special is that it is based on a true story.. there really was an Atalanta Sports Club and Women's Football Team in Huddersfield in the 1920s, and the historical references added to this play were all factual.
A couple of things for me worked less well than others. Pitting a kazoo against a trombone for example didn't really work, and the second act opening song was once again a little slow and downbeat to truly enthuse. However, Rachel Benson, Thomas Cotran, James McLean, and Elizabeth Robin all worked excellently together. I believe the phrase is 'they had good chemistry'! And for the whole show gave everything they had.. high energy levels, and oodles of talent to effectively portray several different characters each, in a series a interconnecting and chronological vignettes; singing, playing instruments, and acting, battling the elements as best they could (although they were upstaged part way through the second half by a rather noisy sparrowhawk...!) to provide with ease and charm, a theatre-starved and eagre audience with this historical and entertaining tale.
This was my first Mikron Theatre production, and I verily enjoyed it. It will most certainly not be my last. Congratulations one and all.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 9.6.21
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