REVIEW:
People, Places and Things, HOME, Manchester
03/10/17 - 7.30pm
Reviewed by:
GUEST REVIEW
Little Bear: 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻/5
9th October 2017
GUEST REVIEW
Little Bear: 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻/5
9th October 2017
Personally, when I see performances on stage I prefer musicals rather than straight plays, so I was naturally a little sceptical as to whether People, Places and Things would be a show that interested me. All I knew about it before I went to watch was that it was about a woman struggling with addiction and my initial response wasn’t very enthusiastic. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
The writing was incredibly insightful with the main character having a variety of moving monologues about being unattached to reality and, consequently, using acting and addiction as a way to actually feel something other than nothing. These were instantly relatable to anyone who uses acting as a form of escapism, even without the daily struggle of alcohol and drug abuse. It’s a real credit to the playwright, Duncan Macmillan’s, writing ability that he is able to make something that specific relate to a mass audience.
Adding to that, the writing would not come across as well as it does without the work of the amazing performers on stage. Lisa Dwyer Hogg played the lead, credited as Emma, yet she went by several different names and was actually called Lucy. The differences in name helping to show just how distanced the character was from her true self. She gave a realistic and believable performance, completely embodying the essence of the role and making the audience truly believe what was happening.
Another performer worth noting is Ekow Quartey as Foster, a nurse at the rehab centre where Emma was attending, who was able to show that just how well put together someone may look the outside, this isn’t always or necessarily the case. The rest of the cast backed up the performances with ease. Andrew Sheridan and Trevor Fox, who played Mark and Paul/Dad respectively, also deserve an honourable mention.
The piece was brought together perfectly with the sound, lighting, movement and set. The loud electronic music and busy lighting showcased what was going on in Emma’s head in a unique way, while the movement of all the other actors playing different versions of Emma when she was going through her withdrawal period also helped you understand what she was going through.
The set was created by the same people who did Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and it had a lot of glaring similarities, which also worked for this production. Both are shows which document what life is like for someone who is not in touch with a mainstream reality.
This was an amazing performance all round and I am extremely glad I got to see it. Headlong is a company that was not originally on my radar but after this play they now definitely are. I highly recommend that you go and see the tour before it ends, as everyone should witness what an amazingly intuitive piece of theatre People, Places and Things really is.
The writing was incredibly insightful with the main character having a variety of moving monologues about being unattached to reality and, consequently, using acting and addiction as a way to actually feel something other than nothing. These were instantly relatable to anyone who uses acting as a form of escapism, even without the daily struggle of alcohol and drug abuse. It’s a real credit to the playwright, Duncan Macmillan’s, writing ability that he is able to make something that specific relate to a mass audience.
Adding to that, the writing would not come across as well as it does without the work of the amazing performers on stage. Lisa Dwyer Hogg played the lead, credited as Emma, yet she went by several different names and was actually called Lucy. The differences in name helping to show just how distanced the character was from her true self. She gave a realistic and believable performance, completely embodying the essence of the role and making the audience truly believe what was happening.
Another performer worth noting is Ekow Quartey as Foster, a nurse at the rehab centre where Emma was attending, who was able to show that just how well put together someone may look the outside, this isn’t always or necessarily the case. The rest of the cast backed up the performances with ease. Andrew Sheridan and Trevor Fox, who played Mark and Paul/Dad respectively, also deserve an honourable mention.
The piece was brought together perfectly with the sound, lighting, movement and set. The loud electronic music and busy lighting showcased what was going on in Emma’s head in a unique way, while the movement of all the other actors playing different versions of Emma when she was going through her withdrawal period also helped you understand what she was going through.
The set was created by the same people who did Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and it had a lot of glaring similarities, which also worked for this production. Both are shows which document what life is like for someone who is not in touch with a mainstream reality.
This was an amazing performance all round and I am extremely glad I got to see it. Headlong is a company that was not originally on my radar but after this play they now definitely are. I highly recommend that you go and see the tour before it ends, as everyone should witness what an amazingly intuitive piece of theatre People, Places and Things really is.