THEATRE REVIEW: Classic! - Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

It was great to be back at Hope Mill after such a long time away.. and what a show to choose for my reviewing return there.

Not helped by Covid, it was the second night of Classic! as the opening night and matinee on the second day were both cancelled due to cast members testing positive. Last night (opening) the role of Alun (should have been played by Gareth Tempest) was covered by another that cover has since tested positive, meaning Director, Joyce Branagh (yes, the sister of THE Kenneth, who directed the film Belfast which was about him that Joyce was in) had to step in to take on the role of the '30 year old, handsome Welshman built like Thor' - script in hand (unexpected, being the director but it didn't really detract from the comedy and action, in fact I think it contributed to it).

Described as 'more novels than you can think of', the one-hour show takes us through 42 literary classics in an attempt (apparently), 'The Play That Goes Wrong' /Mischief Theatre-esque style, to break a world record, held by a group in St Petersburg. From writers of Emmerdale and Eastenders, Peter Kerry and Lindsay Williams, it was key to have an open mind about the form that the show would take, with only one nod to it being a comedy in its promotion - 'a romp'. It was indeed a comedy, following similar farcical charm as 'The Play That Goes Wrong' team. From comedy props, off-cue reactions and animated facial expressions and gestures, physical theatre is very much a key element of this piece, demanded by its rapid pace and the need to get through so many stories - that is the brief. It also reminded me of 'The 39 Steps' (parody version), with actors playing multiple characters.

One does wonder how, without compromising the integral and iconic parts of the much-loved novels, you can present so many in just one hour, but they did. and they did so rather well. With audience participation from the start, we were, I suspect, encouraged to relax and be patient whilst the main ones were acted out, before the suggestion of running out of time was woven into the script too, with the pace quickening, leaving us wondering whether all 42 pieces would be covered and therefore the alleged record broken.

From ingenious adaptations of 'Moby Dick' narrated by Anna (Amy Drake); 'Pride And Prejudice' as a silent movie, narrated by Reuben (Robin Simpson); 'Jane Eyre'; 'The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde'; to a New York twist on Dickensian favourite 'Oliver Twist'; a rather erotically-commenced 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'; a highly entertaining and energy pantomime-like 'Black Beauty', and semi-one-women show representation of 'Little Women' and Barbershop-style 'Tess Of The D'Ubervilles', we were treated to a real feast of educational, nostalgic and hilarious relics. There are also few stranger things (wait for it) than this version of 'Wuthering Heights' (not, not the Kate Bush song!). Shout outs should also go to Australian, Louis Blair, who plays Zac and also plays piano, Amy Drake playing the trumpet as Napoleon in 'War And Peace' and Althea Burey as Lauryn and percussion/verbal sound effects. These added to the outstanding display of talents that this cast have. Completing the cast of 6, Amy Gavin plays Vicky and they are all equally as skilled and funny was each other. You can really tell that they love what they do and enjoy really entertaining, with raw adrenalin pumping.

Completing the full spectrum of classics, the remainder of which are crammed into a song, we hear of and see clever nods to: 'Around The World In 80 Days', 'To Kill A Mockingbird', 'The Grapes Of Wrath', 'The Scarlet Letter', 'The Woman In White/Black', 'Middlemarch', 'The Charge Of The Light Brigade', 'Three Men In A Boat', 'Treasure Island', 'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland', 'The Great Gatsby', 'War Of The Worlds', 'Lord Of The Rings', 'Frankenstein', 'Dracula', 'Lolita', 'Murder On The Orient Express', 'The Catcher In The Rye', 'The Wizard Of Oz', 'On The Road', 'The Wind In The Willows', and others too (you're lucky I could read my scrawl of that many).

In short, this show is genius, clever, hilarious, high energy and extremely entertaining. It must be seen to be believed and now's your chance, before Saturday's two shows, leading to it's slot at Edinburgh's Fringe where it firmly deserves its place to be admired.

The theatre is supporting the Final Curtain initiative to raise £25,000 to enable 1,000 school children and disadvantaged young people, who have never been to the theatre, to see shows like the highly-anticipated but delayed 'Cinderella' by Rogers and Hammerstein which will grace this theatre later in the year. The total raised so far is well on the way to the target.

Please support this great theatre, its initiatives and the amazing shows it welcomes and produces (this time with HER productions).

Reviewer - John Kristof
on - 16.6.22