Friday 18 March 2022

THEATRE REVIEW: Vignettes - Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester.


A Joyous and wholesome occasion all round for Vignettes by HER Productions at the Hope Mill Theatre running until the 26th of October. This is not the first time Vignettes has graced the stage at Hope Mill and after last night's performances I am sure it wont be the last! Brought to us by the same company that produce the popular all female Shakespeares, the team, headed by the ever-present Hannah Ellis Ryan, hit the nail bang on the head with 6 short plays written by female writers tackling important and at time, taboo issues, addressing lots of elephants in lots of rooms, it really was a stimulating night all ways round.

The show was opened by a monologue piece called Limerence, Written by Abena Taylor-Smith and directed by Misha Duncan Barry. Instantly falling in love with a stranger on a train or at a party is something we have all thought about thanks to ‘the movies’ but it never really plays out. Well this time it did. We follow Keziah, played by the confident and commanding Maz Hedgehog, as she falls down a slippery slope of limerence with Alisha, a stranger she has a weird amount in common with. We are taken on holiday with them as things turn sour and we find out maybe Alisha wasn’t ‘the one’ after all. She weaves Keziah a web of lies that she walks in to, too infatuated to see the signs. Hedgehog navigates the monologue expertly, constantly keeping us along for the ride. Aside from some translation issues with the lighting (the audience mistaking the end of a scene for the end of the piece) it was a slick sturdy way to open the night.  

After a rapturous applause filled with cheers and woops that continued for the night, we were blessed with The Demon Dog Of Waterhead, written by Cathy Crabb and directed by Kate Coogan. We are greeted with Sue, played by Sarah Legg, and Dom, played by James Quinn... n a dog onesie. Well this was always going to be a ‘treat’. We join the couple in their dining room awaiting guests for the wake of their late dog. We become flies one the wall as Quinn eulogises the poor pup with a country song reminiscing on all his faults. I have had the pleasure of working with Quinn before and he certainly did a good job of keeping his singing skills a secret up until now. Dare I say for good reason! The piece was erratic at times but touching all the same with a deeper message harking on parent/child estrangement and how that is coped with. Though it was barking mad, you end a piece with a puppy in a box and everyone’s happy!

The last of the first act was Perspective, by Alex Keelan, directed by Rachel McMurray. This right here was the stand-out for me. We bare witness to the inner-monologue of Janice, a tightly wound, well organised, soon to be Deputy Chief Executive, played by the raw and enigmatic Emily Heyworth. We begin with Janice almost gloating about her perfectly-put-together life and character before watching it unravel before our very eyes. Heyworth showcases every tool in the box taking us on an impressive character arc ending in a panic attack and what looks like the beginning of a divorce. We envy, grimace, laugh and cry with Emily from top to bottom. Supported by Joe Osborne, George Miller and Amy Du Quesne it was some way to send us off for the interval.

We are put firmly back in our seats for the second act as we find Sally Ann Matthews hanging from a parachute in a failed attempt to land a charity jump. This was Tangled, by Debbie Oates and directed by Ellie Rose. Sally, is probably used to her feet being firmly planted on the cobbles of Coronation Street but in this hilarious monologue found herself a little higher above ground. Navigating the nuances of this piece beautifully we are taken on a journey of empowerment as ‘young people these days are so brave’. We learn about gender identity from the perspective of someone struggling to adapt to the education of this and boy, did it hit the point home. After this highlight we were left feeling brave and empowered. Exactly what the doctor ordered!

We are then transported to the office of a magazine company for The Reference, written by Hannah Ellis Ryan and directed by Amy Gavin. We meet Beth, played by the brilliant Amy Du Quesne. She’s after a reference from her controlling and cunningly abusive ex-boss Maeve played excellently by Emma Summerville. We unpack a completely unprofessional previous working relationship between the two as we learn of Maeve’s grooming of the youthful bright brilliance of Beth. Just as the piece is reaching its cadence we learn that Beth’s baton of burden has been passed on to the fresh faced innocent Catherine, played by Amy Chung. A subtle, provoking and disturbing story told brilliantly by these ladies.

Lastly we join a group of four girls glammed up in Blackpool for Halal Hens, written by Zoe Iqbal and directed by Channique Sterling Brown. Hannah, Sairah, Fiza and Sofiyah, played by Zoe Iqbal, Nasima Begum, Noor Shahid and Anisa Butt respectively, find themselves in what can only be described as a Brexit Bar on Sofiya’s hen do. Though they manage to make the best of it they are confronted with the fact that Sairah’s husband has been caught on Grindr! The topic of sexuality with a backdrop of Islam is clever, quizzing and most definitely necessary. It is broached with respect, humour and humility as we hear the different characters' viewpoints. A great note to end the night on. No matter how hard things get I’ve got you, you’ve got me and we’ve got us.

This summed up all the pieces and all the themes perfectly. An important and enjoyable showcase of female work from HER Productions yet again. We can’t wait for the next!

Reviewer - Jack Wagman
on - 17/3/22


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