'Your Playground Voice Is Gone' is a 50 minute one act play written by up-coming writer-in-residence at Salford Arts Theatre, Libby Hall. Just 19 herself, she has already had her plays performed for the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, and been lauded with praise and awards for her writing. I was expecting great things.
This particular play however, first heard as a radio play during lockdown, did not live up to the very high expectations I had of Hall.
The play starts in familiar territory: a group of young teenagers gather on a disused fly tip area of ground in a local Salford wood. This disparate group of friends, all with their own (perhaps cliched) characteristics gather here on a regular basis to catch up on all the gossip, or just simply banter with each other in a way that only school children can. It's humorous, and Hall has not forgotten how to write some stunning one-liners, but it's too static and it's not going anywhere. What we are watching is nothing new, and although we are enjoying the dynamics of these people whose behaviour and language is foreign to us - we've "grown up", and have left behind long ago all these nuances to our dailogue and body language - the play simply sets up all too obviously an all too predictable denouement. [which is even preempted by Darcy's opening line and the doll hanging on side of the stage]. This is unfortunate. The play descends from a gentle comedy into something more serious and more sinister, but I would have liked to have seen Hall travel down the path less trodden, especially on such a subject matter. (or maybe it is because of the subject matter she felt she needed to stay on familiar ground).
A question I should perhaps ask is whether or not anyone - whether a child or not - would be able to mistake blood for jam. Or, in fact, whether a rolling pin in the hands of Rachel would have wielded sufficient power to commit the act that is the pivot of the whole play. There were a few instances throughout where humour was gained through the ignorance / naivety of at least one of the characters (John), but this seemed to stretch credibility a little too far.
The cast is made up of seven juveniles - all aged between 12 and 15, and all members of Salford Arts Theatre's own Youth Theatre group. Their understanding of their individual characters and their role within the piece as a whole was excellent, and they worked superbly together. A true ensemble piece, with a very committed and professional team. I still think that the characterisations could have been honed and developed a little further however, and that a little more movement and use of space could have been brought to bear from Roni Ellis's direction.
A question I should perhaps ask is whether or not anyone - whether a child or not - would be able to mistake blood for jam. Or, in fact, whether a rolling pin in the hands of Rachel would have wielded sufficient power to commit the act that is the pivot of the whole play. There were a few instances throughout where humour was gained through the ignorance / naivety of at least one of the characters (John), but this seemed to stretch credibility a little too far.
The cast is made up of seven juveniles - all aged between 12 and 15, and all members of Salford Arts Theatre's own Youth Theatre group. Their understanding of their individual characters and their role within the piece as a whole was excellent, and they worked superbly together. A true ensemble piece, with a very committed and professional team. I still think that the characterisations could have been honed and developed a little further however, and that a little more movement and use of space could have been brought to bear from Roni Ellis's direction.
Personal preferences aside, this was a very strong piece of original theatre performed by seven talented youngsters, and I enjoyed watching it muchly.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 12.9.21
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