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Day: 23 April 2018

Review: Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men may be one of the only texts that current theatregoers may be more informed on than the production’s creative team. It’s in fine company with the likes of Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and Mister Pip — Of Mice and Men is a crucial component of many twentysomething’s GCSE English Literature experience.

It taught us the figurative, such as how ‘red’ means ‘danger’.  Yet, despite all of Steinbeck’s foreshadowing, we are still shocked by its ending. I won’t say what it is though, in case it somehow hasn’t been spoiled as it has for many others.

I was surprised to see that John Steinbeck had written the stage adaptation and was curious to see which details of the novella he had included.

Selladoor’s touring production was on for only several days at the Manchester Opera House, the slightly smaller, slightly younger sister to The Palace Theatre. The Opera House sits neatly between Spinningfields and Castlefield on Quay Street.

The set was spectacular — a minimal barn interior that stretched to the full height and width of the stage — and Mark Aspinall’s musical accompaniment was much needed to fill the nineteen-hundred-plus capacity theatre. These two elements worked in tandem to heighten the theatricality of the play. This was necessary, as the story principally revolves around themes of loneliness, oppression and death.

The transitions between scenes were elegant as parts of the set were operated off-stage and we were easily transported from the brush to the dorms. Notably, Steinbeck’s theatre adaptation missed out a lot of places and settings that are mentioned in the novella.

Matthew Wynn played a large, vulnerable and optimistic Lennie to Richard Keightley’s George, who seemed more interested in being ‘one-of-the-boys’ than maintaining the loyal relationship portrayed in the text. This meant that the motivation of George’s actions in the final scene seemed different, but still equally as justified.

All supporting actors gave strong performances that complimented the narrative well, with Andrew Boyer’s performance as Candy unavoidably endearing and sympathy-inducing due to the harsh yet vulnerable quality of his voice. Out of all the characters in Selladoor’s production, I longed for Candy to succeed.

One thing I found slightly irksome however, was the absence of Curley’s wife’s brown hair and iconic red dress. Possibly, Steinbeck intended for the theatrical version to stand separate to his world-renowned book, but my education would not allow my experience to diverge the two.

Live Review: Little Comets

Little Comets’ music seems to bathe your soul in warmth and nostalgia. They’re an old-school indie outfit complete with nifty guitar licks, compelling lyricism, and an endearing air of modesty. They are, and have been for a while now, the most underrated indie-rock band of the 21st century.

Songs like Joanna, Bridge Burn and Adultery are entirely representative of this quintet’s ability to concoct intellectually stimulating storylines which are embellished with the most intricate guitar riffs and exquisite use of soothing synth beats. What is absolutely clear is Little Comet’s passion for writing songs that resonate in the chest whether that be in a wrapping your arms around your closest friends and belting the catchy lyrics i.e. ‘Dancing Song’ or ‘One Night in October’ or to the other extreme when they perform songs such as ‘Violence Out Tonight’ and ‘The Blur’, ‘The Line’ and’ The Thickest of Onions’.

Tonight, the latter was undoubtedly their best performance. With a deep sea blue wash lighting up the minimal yet very typical Comet’s set-up, complete with the distinctive hand-writing of the members decorating each instrument and piece of equipment in sight. This raw and pure image Little Comets exhibited whilst presenting the meaningful and moving lyrics that The Blur possesses really drove home just how important this band regard darker issues such as sexual violence, and how they utilise their platform as musicians to help educate their audience.

Having seen Little Comets for the first time 6 years ago and seen them three times since I can’t understand why they are not gaining the attention they deserve. They’ve always been a band I return to, religiously. Songs such as Isles and A Little Opus have quite literally framed my childhood, right from when I saw them perform at my local festival ‘Party in the Park’ in Leeds. Despite it being clear that Little Comets have acquired a very loyal and loving fan base I can’t help but feel frustrated that for some unbeknown reason, they have not reached the audience they are more than worthy of.

Performances like the one Little Comets showcased to the sold-out Manchester Club Academy really captures just how incredibly talented this hidden-gem of a band is. The crowd held onto every note they played and at times even sang louder than Vocalist Rob could ever match, illustrating the sheer passion that many fans possess within their hearts for the tunes Little Comets have written. With hypnotic guitar riffs and lyrics that continuously make you question your own positionality, Little Comets deserve far more attention than what the music industry gives them.

9/10

Review: Mixtape

A new production devised and performed by the Royal Exchange Young Company, Mixtape tells the stories of Manchester’s young people through the framing device of the city’s three rivers. Part gig, part musical, part play, the Company weave these narratives together with ease, creating a cohesive evening of theatre that is uniquely Mancunian.

Led by our emcee, Elli Kypriadi, Mixtape is an evening full of foot stomping and buzz. Whilst there are moments that were overly earnest, the cast consistently put their all into the production across the evening. There was a real sense that each cast member brought their particular skills and interests to the table when devising the production, from Gabriel Clark’s smattering of Italian to Charlie Shaw’s DJ set at the end of the night.

It was some of the more peaceful moments that really stood out for me: John Featherstone’s monologue about deafness had the audience enthralled, as did Aidan Feely talking about coming into the city on his own for the first time. In short, each cast member brought something unique and interesting to the show, whilst maintaining the sense of ensemble that really made the night shine.

Particular notice must go to Zoe Ndlovu as Siphilise, whose passionate fury and powerful vocals in the song ‘Too Black, Too White’ had the Royal Exchange Studio quaking. Mixtape didn’t shy away from dealing with race, sexuality, religion – but this never felt tokenistic or cynical. Instead, the Young Company were dealing with the issues that directly affect them. Even a song as comparatively light hearted as Rebecca Xuan Le’s ‘Timelines and Twitter Feeds’ dug into the loneliness of social media from the perspective of someone who seems to be succeeding.

Mark Distin-Webster’s lighting design really contributed to turning the Studio into a gig setting and, with this alongside the set, I was oddly reminded of the work of Julian Crouch and Kevin Adams on the recent Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. As in Hedwig, the gig set-up of this show engenders intimacy between audience and performer. I felt more could have been done to further this as whilst the use of some audience interaction had potential, the actors seemed uncomfortable in these moments.

Ultimately, however, Mixtape is full of bangers, hummable tunes, and a whole lot of hope for the future of Manchester’s theatre scene.

Interview: Shame

Explosive five-piece Shame has recently finished their 22-date US tour, which they described as, “meat, desert, and sunshine” — emphasising the exhausting nature and carnivorous appetite that such a long time gigging in the United States has imposed upon this spirited South-London quintet.

Now, Shame has returned to their homeland to resume their hunt for new converts, and to lead their cult followers through confirmations in preaching the ground-breaking post-punk debut album ‘Songs of Praise’.

After Dead Oceans record label reached an agreement with Shame, the lads retorted that they didn’t like the idea of “going to spend money on a fancy meal”, instead deciding on tickets to Thorpe Park before signing their record deal on the Rumba Rapids…despite vocalist Steen’s disdain for rides.

Unlike their undoubtedly turbulent rapid ride since the band’s launch of ‘Songs of Praise’, Shame has received a largely unanticipated, faithful reception. As guitarist Sean Coyle-Smith states, they “expected far more people to slag us off than they did”. Instead, the vast majority of publications such as the NME, DIY and The Times have credited Shame with four, if not five, stars alongside highly impressive reviews.

Shame has taken the small portions of criticism it has endured with a very tongue in cheek undertone, seamlessly fitting their confident and incredibly non-exclusive attitude as a band. Sean and erratic bassist Josh Finerty emphasised this mentality in their recollection of comments, such as those which described the band as “vacuous bags of wind floating nowhere in particular”, “more indie for the landfill,” and “if ladybird books formed a band”.

Yet, this delving into such comments was immediately met by an amusement felt by both members, who praised the creativity of such criticism. In fact, as frontman Steen entered the stage of the Brudenell, he invited any declarations of viewpoints, proclaiming he’d much rather hear extreme views of their music, as he disregards “anything in between” as unimportant.

This bold attitude is reflective of the rawest roots of punk, despite the fact that the five-piece claim to have never really been into classic punk figures such as Sid Vicious and Jonny Rotten. In fact, Sean leans more towards the opinion of this type of punk as “a tiny bit boring.”  Instead, they emphasise the importance of both old and new. The old being more to the likes of “The Stooges, Joy Division, and the Pixies,” whilst also being surrounded by more contemporary artists, such as those up-and-coming within their home radius of South London.

Shame relish in the misconception of their image as a new Christian band, given their title ‘Songs of Praise’ and equally wholesome photograph which frames the cover of their debut record. Throughout live performances, Steen uses this as a humorous, recurring sarcastic statement as fuel for their persistently comedic and incredibly nonchalant demeanour.

Nonetheless, Shame is certainly not lax about all things. This was shown in Steen’s abrupt announcement that absolutely, “no abuse will be tolerated at any of the shows”, as well as the importance they impose on using the platforms they have as musicians to “influence someone’s opinion or enlighten people on a topic they are not particularly familiar with.”

It is no secret that Shame leans strongly to the left, as seen in the crude number ‘Visa Vulture’ directed at Theresa May. However, when asked who they prefer over Trump or May, they agreed even though Trump has some merit in that he represents a form of anarchism, he is undoubtedly who they’d prefer to kill.

As fans gathered in the 400-cap venue of the Brudenell Social Club, I don’t believe that any of those in the house fully anticipated the band’s volatile, captivating stage presence. The sheer energy of each of the five members bounced brilliantly off the sweaty, claustrophobic space, charging the air with electricity that sparked every time Steen made eye contact or launched himself at this amorphous mass of body fluids, strained arms, and flying shoes.

10/10