THEATRE REVIEW: Good Grief - HOME, Manchester

Tonight, Manchester's Home Theatre hosted a phenomenal performance from the hugely talented Ugly Bucket Theatre Company. 'Good Grief' focuses on the grief we all experience after the passing of a loved one, or close friend. The show takes you on an emotional rollercoaster like any traditional Ugly Bucket show; I felt myself laughing, followed by crying and then smiling at myself as I realised the sentiments and traditions we all undertake when experiencing the different stages of grief.

Requested by a strong man as he faced his final moments, 'Good Grief' sympathises with each and every one of it's audience members as they explore the different pieces of repertoire that death provides from beyond it's aftermath. We explore together how grief has become the spider in the room, and the audience decide whether they should nurture and accept its presence or crush it under their heel. 

Focusing back to my own grief somewhat two years ago, Ugly Bucket, allowed me to think and process parts of my grief that I hadn’t realised were there and I was able to consider pieces of death I hadn’t yet grieved. There were moments I could easily recognise; like speaking to my nan about the passing of my granddad. For me it was important to allow her to talk over and over again reminiscing on the same stories of her 42 years of marriage as that seemed to help her heal slowly. To the empty feelings and loneliness each clown dispensed at some point throughout the performance.. 

The farcical moments were bold and brilliant in true Ugly Bucket style, whilst they provided laughter and light-hearted humour on this subject, it only hurt more when the real accounts of people's grief were presented to us. In each moment of silence I could hear audience members sniffling back tears as Ugly Bucket entertained and touched each soul in the room. 

Alongside these delicate moments, there were moments I was truly and visually amazed by - it was clear co-artistic directors Grace Gallagher and Rachael Smart had put their everything into this performance just like they had their other successes ‘Bost-Uni Plues’, ‘2 Clowns, 1 Cup’ and ‘ABC (Anything But Covid)’ Credit to musician Duncan Gallagher as his musical talents didn’t go unrecognised, as he provided the techno sound that compliments Ugly Buckets slapstick vibes.

Adam Baker, Grace Gallagher, Angelina Cliff, Canice Ward and Jessica Huckerby all deserve such incredible recognition for the 100% they put into their emotionally, physically and mentally demanding performances - clowning is no easy feat! Overall, this was just the right mixture; a dash of clowning, a pinch of verbatim and a sprinkle of techno to create the perfectly-uncomfortable-made-comfortable performance discussing a taboo subject that we should all be talking more about! 

This was classic Ugly Bucket and I was blown away yet again!

Reviewer - Caroline Bleakley
on - 11.11.21