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I've sat on the grass many times for Crude Apache's
part in the Theatre In The Parks calendar, but I'll admit, it was
a welcome change to have bench, bar and patio heater at the Norwich
Playhouse for this performance on the terrace.
This is a play about relationships, love and loss
and about a need to beat the system of '80s Britain.
Set in Argyle Street, Norwich's infamous squat,
we are quickly caught up in the spirit of the people living on the
street and their desire to survive, each in their own ways, against
the rough deal thrown to them by society.
There are some strong performances in this piece
from many of the cast.
Nicki Dixon is Mary. She fell in love during a
holiday romance and was left pregnant by Aussie hunk (but in need
of a tan), Joe.
Joe, it soon becomes clear, is rather more interested
in making babies than taking responsibility for them.
Nicki is still growing Mary's role and it took
sometime during the performance to find the passion and heartache
of her complex character.
When she did, it was a sheer joy to behold as we
stepped aboard for every twist and turn in Mary's rollercoaster
ride of emotions.
Leighton Williams stars as Shabba. He keeps the
community together, is liked by all and it's clear there is more
than just a simple friendship in his heart when he's around Mary.
There is a beautiful scene, handled with great
tenderness, as Mary confides her heart to him - blissfully unaware
of his true feelings towards her.
Special mention also to Peter Barden as Lefty the
Socialist and to Tom Gray as Alfred, the long-suffering, under-the-thumb
of his wife, neighbour.
Alfred caused many a laugh from the audience and
could well be Victor Meldrew's long lost brother.
This production from Crude Apache will, as ever,
be popular with Norwich audiences who love the company's dramatisation
of local history.
For me, whilst enjoyable, it lacked the sparkle
of their previous Theatre In The Parks offerings.
There are some beautiful scenes in The Street,
but overall I felt the piece was too long and it lurched into musical
numbers that didn't always need to be there.
A nice touch this year though, in having members
of the cast pick up the instruments, rather than a separate band.
This worked particularly well in the party scene.
The voice of a newsreader was an excellent device
for setting the play against the political agenda of the time.
Sadly, it fell into the trap of sounding like you
might think a newsreader should sound, rather than somebody actually
just reading the news.
As the production notes say, The Street is not
supposed to be an accurate history of what happened more than 20
years ago, but an attempt to capture the spirit of the events at
the time. This, I'm sure it does.
Congratulations to all involved in presenting this
important time in Norwich's physical and social past to new audiences.
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