Manchester Lines is the second in a series of ‘site specific’
productions that the Library Theatre Company is undertaking whilst it is
temporarily homeless. This production utilises the fifth floor of a modern
office building in Manchester, which will in time hopefully be adjacent to the
new home of the combined Library Theatre and Cornerhouse, who are joining
together to create a brand new Arts Centre in Manchester.
I’m a bit torn on
blogging about it, as I think the less you know about the production and what
will unfold, the more magical an experience it will be. I went along with very
little prior knowledge, and it turned out to be one of the most unique, thought-provoking
and uplifting pieces of theatre I have seen.
Manchester Lines is set in a lost property office, overseen
by the ‘keeper of lost things’ Eugene, and through a series of scenes,
presented in a non-linear format, we get a glimpse of the lives of the people
who visit it, the things we lose, and gain through life’s journey, the way
disparate lives can cross in unexpected ways, and ultimately the value in believing
in the good of people.
The experience starts as you arrive at the venue and are
escorted in the lift to the fifth floor, from there, by way of a corridor
filled with curious ‘lost things’ you enter a lost property office, filled from
floor to ceiling with a wide variety of items that the audience is free to have
a look round. The attention to detail is impressive, although after having seen
Hard Times last year, I was not surprised at the quality of the set. Clever use of sound, emanating from the
shelves, all adds to the atmosphere. Then the audience settle into the seating
scattered around the space, feeling as if you really are part of the scene, and
the action begins.
The play itself is a mix of straight scenes, dance and sung
poetry, as the various characters connection with the lost property office, and
each other, unfold. It is quite mad at times, at others deeply moving. The language,
especially the poetry, is beautiful, and the cast all give excellent performances.
Eugene, the central role, is excellently played by John
Bramwell. This is a man who takes pride in his job, has a gentle northern
humour, and great compassion for the people who walk through his doors. All the
cast were fabulous, giving great acting and singing (and even dancing)
performances. Anne Kidd as Jessie gives an extremely touching performance that
nearly had me in tears on a couple of occasions as her story unfolds. Mother
and son team Pauline (Claire Brown) and Louis are nicely judged, playing off
each other well, but equally impressive in their individual scenes. I was
particularly impressed with the young actor playing Louis (Marcquelle Ward), he
had great energy and timing.
For me the stand out performance was that of Bettrys Jones
playing Anna. This was a powerful portrayal of a complex and potentially
unlikeable character, perfectly pitched and quite mesmerising.
The ending of the play is unexpected and extremely moving,
many of the audience, myself included, lingered long after the ‘official’ end
of the action, almost as if we didn’t want to break the spell that the proceedings
had cast.
I’ve long been a supporter of the Library Theatre Company,
and sad though it was that they had to move out of their old home never to
return, the quality of work that they have been producing since they left the
Central Library is amazing, especially the ‘site specific’ work, and I would definitely
recommend people to go and see this production if they can get a ticket. It
really was a memorable, emotional and unique experience.
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