Kyra’s programme shows she is also the writer, producer, director, stage designer, digital content creator social media co-ordinator and all-round hype-man. 

Sam Baxter on lighting, plus sound and music from bands and artists from the North. 

This performance took place in The King’s Arms, Salford, under the dome of the upstairs theatrical space. The stage is empty apart from a small desk, with the all-important envelope, and a covered flipchart. 

The opening is designed to appear that the actor has forgotten the time of performance and is caught out, unprepared, in bath hat and snoopy fleece. This leads to a very funny stream-of-consciousness revealing of her chronic lateness with brave and funny jokes that set the tone of openness. There is a comical anecdote about missing the Eurostar and ending up in Blackpool instead of Paris – which is almost the same ‘except for the greasy fingers and fake tits.’ 

A quick change introduces the ‘proper’ show and Isobella launches straight into the punchy, comic material that is her family. There are lots of excellent jokes here so I need to avoid giving too many spoilers, but the jokes about Veet and her dad trying to explain sanitary protection got lots of laughs. All the ‘Dad’ jokes were funny and we enjoyed the well-intentioned, traditional father-figure who inadvertently quotes the life-lessons from RuPaul. 

Isobella’s excellently paced routines are interspersed with her returning to the table to contemplate opening her letter from the university – a letter that could potentially change the direction of her life. She teases her audience by constantly putting off the reveal whilst she considers her options. She uses the full stage effectively and her flipchart is utilised for listing her positives and negatives 

Kyra’s script is brave, and the transitions between emotional extremes are handled expertly. The descriptions of Isobella’s mother’s suicide – and its after-effects – are moving, credible and very sensitively dealt with. In less experienced hands it could prove difficult to switch tone so quickly and effectively but Kyra navigates the return to humour with ease. One quick move across the stage to the flipchart and we are entertained by the comical origins of the siblings’ names. 

After a consideration of her family’s different responses to losing her to university (Dad gives her a Christmas stocking containing a stun gun and pepper spray) Isobella realises that she needs to consider her own opinions. What does she want to risk? Looking back at her life so far, she concludes that we are largely unable to control what happens to us; we can only control how we deal with the aftermath. 

The play runs for thirty minutes and I think we would have all happily watched for longer. Throughout the performance, Kyra remains in complete command of all her material, the pathos, the sensitivities, and the belly laughs. She conducts these with ease. The audience interactions were natural and unforced, and her pace was pitch perfect. 

I cannot tell you what we learn about the content of her envelope; that would be too much of a spoiler. But I, for one, was very happy with the play’s conclusion. It also leaves open the possibility of a sequel. Whether Kyra has one planned or not, I don’t know. But I don’t doubt will be hearing a lot more from this charismatic and highly watchable performer in the future. 

Josephine Galvin

The post It Is What It Is – Performed by Kyra Scott 26/27th July 2024 appeared first on Manchester Theatre Academy.

written and directed by Joe Walsh.

Raw, gritty, humorous and emotional; the perfect mix to raise awareness of the severity of homelessness in our society.

Review by Jayne Skudder

On entering the Way Studio, we were drawn into life on the streets of Manchester, the sounds and distractions, living amongst the debris of the city; a fort- a mock up home to provide a shelter from the elements. There, Barney sits, as if oblivious to the chaos surrounding him, silently going about his daily business, wandering around the space and coming back to his position. This elongated silence works to illustrate the monotony of his life and the human routine we cling to when seeking solace and safety.

Sound plays a big role in this play, with a great choice of music and audio to set the scene, providing news and interviews regarding homelessness. Over 230,000 homeless people inhabit the streets of Manchester and numbers are on the rise. Are they really just numbers?

We instantly feel invested in the characters of Barney, Sarah and Derek, such was the fine honing of their characterisation. These talented actors portray real, salt of the earth people and bring the realisation that every individual on the streets has a tale to tell.

Frozen Peas in an Old Tin, skilfully written and directed by Joe Walsh, holds a mirror to society and its preconceptions about homeless people; exploring the reactions of those more privileged. Derinda, Sarah’s old school friend, spouts about how they clutter the streets, looking unclean and untidy, when they should go out and get themselves jobs. Is it really that simple? 

It is heartwarming and sobering to bear witness to the lives of our three protagonists, with their toilet talk and northern banter. They bicker, laugh and love, with a true family dynamic.

There is a true human element running through this play, reminding us that we all have the same basic needs and this doesn’t stop because of where you live. Something as small as being gifted a sanitary pad is a  truly touching gesture, to Sarah and through this she is reminded that someone is looking out for her. 

Sarah played flawlessly by Lulu Marsh is a feisty character, who takes no prisoners: racked by grief at the loss of her sister-played by Hope Yolanda who moves effortlessly between a range of believable characters. 

A grief stricken Barney, naturally performed by Kyle Rowe, provides a love interest for Sarah. Rowe offers great comedy timing and well paced delivery, to portray a loveable-if not so quick on the uptake- lad who lost his way in life. His romance with Sarah is a beacon of hope in an otherwise harrowing existence. 

Derek played by Will Travis, with the utmost attention to detail provided a kind of father figure to Sarah and Barney, looking out for them and giving them hope of another life. He provides great humour as he shares his ‘Waterstones’ toilet experiences, amidst delivering witty one liners, like it’s second nature. His final touching monologue made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle and brought a tear to my eye. He truly harnessed the emotion and loneliness in this moment.

Full of light and shade, this play invites us to laugh and cry along with the characters and their plight to raise money to get the train to Southport. Derek’s dream of starting a band, using anything to hand, gave them purpose and in the end was the ultimate gift to get Barney and Sarah off the streets.  

Breaking the fourth wall, the gig allowed us to live and breath the moment, witness the comedy of suddenly being faced with a crowd of people and no Derek, to feel the vulnerability of Sarah as she falls back on her sister’s memory to serenade us with ‘Sitting on the Dock of The Bay’. 

A humbling piece of theatre, delivering the message home in such an entertaining way.

Would you like to help? Please donate to Homeless Aid UK

The post Frozen Peas in an Old Tin Can appeared first on Manchester Theatre Academy.

A beautiful, moving, gritty piece of musical theatre, about real life Mancunians during the blitz.

It was my first ever visit to 53two theatre in Manchester and it certainly won’t be my last. This is a gem of a venue, oozing character and with its bare brick and arched ceiling, 53two provided the perfect setting for this heartwarming piece of stand out theatre.

From the get go, we were transported back to 1940; smog hanging in the air, amid suspended debris, while the familiar crackle of the broadcast met our ears, immersing us into the era and anticipation of the story about to unfold. 

A talented cast reeled us in with strong vocals and harmonies; a song fitting to and inspired by the era.  Transitions between songs and scenes were flawless and believable, presenting characters with true northern warmth, and a ‘find a way through’ attitude, that you’d imagine during war time. We are with the characters through every step of their journey and we care about them as if they are one of our own, such was the investment into the characterisation.

Comedy timing was en pointe throughout and contrasted well with the poignant, emotional scenes; there were some lovely moments, in particular, the umbrella scene to show the spark of romance between Lizzie (by played Amelia Simpson) and Bob (played by Alex Cosgriff). Movement was choreographed well to bring light hearted romance and comedy to the situation, as well as capturing that awkwardness of first encounters. This was very cleverly done. It was a favourite of my theatre companions and I. Nothing was over romanticised in this play, the raw reality of the situation was there, alongside the hope to carry on.

Love and friendship against all odds, were prevalent themes, making tragic events even more raw. The friendship between Mavis (played by Rebecca McAuley) and Lizzie was well pitched and blossomed throughout, with some lovely moments. We instantly felt the chemistry between the two as they chatted over a cuppa and Lizzie’s burnt bread and sang about the nostalgia for old times. Ida also made a great contrast with her hard exterior and stiff upper lip. Her entrances always held the audience and broke the fourth wall, bringing us into the action, with great comedy moments.

Direction was tight throughout with some great choreographed scenes and tableaus. We loved the contrast between the women and the men as they each relayed the story of their engagements. Jim’s account was simply asking Mavis if she fancied being his wife, while Mavis embellished and romanticised. This created some wonderful comedy.

To weave music and raw gritty scenes together and still retain an engaging plot, is no mean feat and this was successfully achieved in this piece. There was not a dry eye in the house as the final scene played out, we were not the only ones who were moved to tears and in fact it was a roller coaster of emotions throughout. The understated, natural performances, alongside a well written and directed piece, with just the right ambience, created a beautiful Christmas piece, sending the message home that there is always hope of new beginnings and that Christmas is not just about consumerism. Congratulations to all involved, I for one would recommend this show, the final night is tomorrow, if you can grab a ticket, you will not be disappointed.

https://www.53two.com/

https://imaginalityproductions.co.uk/realms-of-glory-programme

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