Entry #28: Bring It All Back

Over the past three weeks my brother turned four, I went on a work's do and to the theatre. The last time I went to the theatre was with Hannah from College in 2005.

I had got free tickets to what turned out to be ostentatious performance art that made Hannah and I laugh out loud, although we were not the first audience members to do so. I recently mentioned to Hannah I hadn't been to the theatre for ages so went hunting for something to see. I looked to the Royal Exchange and no further as I booked tickets for Pretend You Have Big Buildings.

I gave no attention to the events of the Manchester International Festival and came across this quite by chance. We went to the matinée on the run's last day, a humid August 4^th. All I knew about the play was that it would be about cultural identity and—with mention of the character Leon enjoying dressing in his mum's clothes—likely to be about sexual identity too.

It's always a pleasant surprise to recognise faces whether on the stage or screen, Shobna Gulati was Ruhksana and Tanya Franks played Karen. Shobna of course, as a good Mancunian, I know from Coronation Street and for her anti-war work along with Julie Hesmondhalgh. Tanya's a more recent face to me as I've seen her in the BBC Three comedy Pulling; Of course I'd remember her drunkenly searching for owed money at her dead lover's wake — money for the computer she stole from the school at which she teaches, no less.

I thought for some reason I recognised the actor playing Steven, and I now know this must be because Billy Seymour is in Hot Fuzz. Man can he project his voice! Jonathan Bailey and Sacha Dhawan as Leon and Danny, Hannah and I agreed really energised their characters' chemistry. I have to say it was a rather beautiful cast, and I tried not to get too excited when Jonathan was down to his briefs. Steve North, I was unaware, co-wrote and was associate producer of South West Nine, one of my favourite films.

He as Rob and Susan Twist as Annie gave touching performances. The play was an enjoyable venture into roles and stereotypes. Really it demonstrated the trouble caused by misconceptions and expectations. Without gender roles, Leon would not have felt scared about being caught experimenting with make-up (moreover, perhaps he wouldn't feel inclined to experiment if such things weren't prohibited), Rob would not feel so much pressure as the breadwinner, and Karen would not despair at being dependent on this. The culture clash between British and Indian was delivered well, an issue handled with humour. Steven's transition from racism to remorse represented the possibility of such progress.

Pretend You Have Big Buildings is the winner of the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition for the Royal Exchange. Written by Ben Musgrave, at 26 he is the youngest writer to have a production on the Royal Exchange's main stage. He blogged about some of his experiences, discussing some rehearsals and mentioning some reviews.

The set was refreshingly flexible and creative, the work of designer Jaimie Todd, refreshing like the artificial rain and the inverted tower of Canary Wharf declining to reveal a bed, a central setpiece. I really enjoy theatre-in-the-round, the audience seeing the performance from different angles gives a feeling of being in the action, even voyeuristic. I think if I were to write a play I'd imagine it being staged like this or promenade rather than the distant and perfected proscenium. My first and so far only experience of promenade staging was Somewhere the Shadow by Jeff Noon, at the Contact Theatre some six years ago I think.

Now, speaking of cross-dressing, I'm going to a fancy dress party tomorrow and cross-dressing indeed I shall. I couldn't get an appropriate wig so I need to pick up the mask I got off eBay from the post office tommorow; I'm glad it arrived on time or else it'd just be me in drag. I've got more things to say, I think I'll do that on Sunday.

entry info

Entry #28, published on Thursday, 16^th of August 2007 at 23:52 local time (Swatch Internet Time @980 .beats)

Returning in 2008 ;-)