By Libby Hall
Directed by Roni Ellis
Grass roots, gritty theatre from a truly promising ensemble…
On Saturday my Greater Manchester Fringe journey took me to Salford Arts Theatre, a warm, welcoming hub of the community. Running a youth drama group myself, I was keen to see a youth entry to the fringe festival and The Salford Arts Young Performers Company did not disappoint.
Tackling the sensitive themes of child grooming and abuse, this piece written by Libby Hall is darkly comical with an engaging plot and excellent characterisation.
As the play opens, we are presented with voices, laughter, rain…sounds we might associate with childhood, touched with an eerie sense that something isn’t quite right. This audio along with music, sets the atmosphere of the scene; a popular haunt for the local teens in Salford; their playground in the woods, with an old mattress, scattered debris, a doll hanging from a rope; a symbol for more sinister happenings there.
Performances and direction were finely tuned. Line delivery was largely spot on and diction clear, which meant the pace was just right. Some interesting tableaus were created and the movement made the scenes dynamic and natural.
Use of pause was effective, especially for John played by Matthew Cox, who immersed himself in his character, with natural facial expressions and superb comedy/dramatic timing. We immediately felt the danger of the situation, as Rachel played by Molly Edwards wiped away the blood in a protective way. This sows the seed that Rachel is a loyal protective friend and allows us to understand her motivations later in the play when we learn she has attacked ‘Greg’ a teacher from school. Molly offers a strong performance with fully rounded characterisation juxtaposed well against the studious Holly (Leia Komorowska), who portrays the picture of innocence, dressed in her school uniform, waiting to meet her teacher, so she can get better at Maths.
Loz entered the stage with great gusto and brought energy and comedy to the scene. Josie Leigh owned this part physically and mentally and her delivery was timed to perfection, accompanied with clear diction. Played by Sienna Kavanagh, the character Kelsey brings comedy to the scene, with her sassy ways. Facial expressions were well honed and her character illustrates the teenage obsession with self image and social media. Underneath it all though, she is still there for her friends and we see a vulnerable side, her heavy makeup merely a mask to hide the child inside. Further innocence and comedy is brought out by the backstory of Alfie (Riley Mccaffrey), who believes his drug dealing father makes his money as the local gardener; this sent contagious laughter throughout the auditorium. Riley has a natural stage presence and seemed at ease with his role. Although we don’t know quite so much about Darcy’s home life, the character brings out humour, adds an element of sarcasm to mask her fear, she can be quite matter of fact and Scarlett Doyle, times her lines well for comedy impact.
Libby’s well written script facilitates typical teenage banter adding a sense of realism to this piece. We can all relate to these characters on various levels and the diversity injected into them throws out the message that individuality should be celebrated; you can still be part of a friend group; just come as yourself. This is a bold piece of writing well executed by a talented cast, who, with the help of director Roni Ellis, interpreted the characters to perfection and brought the whole piece to life. Theatre is a perfect catalyst to address important issues in society and this play does just that. The message is out there, actions have consequences, always talk to an adult, you’re not alone.
