An unexplainable claustrophobic nuisance gradually pervade my untested frail limbs when the stage sparkles to life, diverting me from my dreamy yearning for white wine and Madagascan-vanilla ice-cream at the interval. The sordidness of the rocky and craggy scenography anaesthetises me from the glamorous formality of the auditorium, with blinding torches on robust helmets remorselessly stinging my confident imperturbability like a treacherous mosquito. I am catapulted, descending anxiously underground via a wobbly and unstable lift, in the surreal reality – if you pardon my jeu de mots or, in other terms, wordplay – of the gritty life of 1980s miners.

Carefully crafted to meet reality, Arinzé Kene’s play centres around the simple, graceful dreams of a young black teen growing up in a London neighbourhood during the early noughties. With hopes and dreams revolving around finally receiving a much desired bike and a big heart full of unapologetic kindness, nothing can go wrong, right? “Pay them no mind and goodness will come your way…”– “You hear them whisper…Eventually the bigger man wins”…

Courtesy of Wasi Daniju.

But what happens when even strong spirits wear out due to injustices and goodness makes sense no more? Here comes the turn then;  a simple, yet strong change of events that leaves you almost teary, there’s a sense of bitterness of growing up different in a multi-cultural community. But this is not a sad story indeed, it’s a play of humour and tragedy tracking the ups and downs of people’s lifetime experience retold through the wide open eyes of a teenager too mature for his age. Simplistic décor and wooden walls (Amelia Jane Hankin) are symbolic of the obstacles “boy” finds himself climbing up on a daily basis, leaving his bullies and fears behind. And it’s not just a personal narrative, it’s a picture of a lively neighbourhood with parents’ hopes for their children to “turnout better”, wives dreaming of their husbands seeing them with the same loving eyes as they used to, owners praying for their shop clients to be nicer tomorrow and everyone waiting for happiness to start growing within.  

Kwaku Mills’ monologue leaves audiences with familiar messages of hope whilst walking through a storm and spirit so graceful that even the most frightening of events can’t crush. It’s simply a catharsis that comes his way to wipe out the childish-like ephemeral goodness that doesn’t disappear but just flows into a different shape. One thing is for sure, this story touches the depths of your existence, no matter if you’ve ever been in this boy’s shoes or you’ve just realised watching how bittersweet happiness turns out to be. 4/5

Review written by Yoana Cholteeva.

good dog was shown at the Northern Stage Theatre on Saturday 9th February 2019. The production is currently on tour and will play at the Stephen Joseph Theatre on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th February. To find out more about the production and tour, visit here…

Bryony Kimmings captures the audience from the moment she walks on stage to kick off her musical masterpiece on cancer. This show is hard-hitting, yet sensitive. It is brutal yet touching. I have never seen anything quite like it.

On a miserable foggy weekday morning, stuck in a freezing metro while travelling apathetically to work and reading the latest news on a freshly bought one-pound journal, a yawning commuter notices a glove. Who left it there? Whilst scrolling through websites on the Internet, maybe even when checking this same review, a quiz pops up promising to reveal an individual’s inner tropical fruit – are you a sexy papaya or a cool coconut? Both the solitary glove and the juicy test capture your attention, they distract you. That is what The Department does best. A clandestine organisation that operates discreetly, seeding objects all over the place which bored people will eventually notice and will then water creatively with their minds. The abandoned glove will incite people to build a story, diverging their thoughts from their tedious everyday matters.

Courtesy of the Northern Stage Theatre.

Gaudy Parisian flowers in Moulin Rouge-esque sumptuous costumes, a shy little mouse sleepily playing a contrabass during a tea party with a loony hatter and a charming all-in-white magician – with a pompom on his bottom – who has a rabbit-daughter called Fluffy. It sounds crazy and makes no sense, but that’s the way it should be – we are in Wonderland, after all!

Courtesy of Pamela Raith.

This light-hearted show is full of fun, frolics and laughter from the outset. Displayed on stage 3 at the Northern Stage, the cast interact with the audience as soon as they begin to enter the room. This Esther McAuley play is aimed at 6-11 year olds, families and schools and contains British Sign Language throughout.

Courtesy of Northern Stage Theatre.

It’s not easy to know what to expect from Kate O’Donnell: You’ve Changed before stepping into the theatre. It is, undoubtedly, an unusual show with an unequivocal and self-explanatory title. Transgender actress Kate O’Donnell grabs the audience’s attention right from the start and takes them – with a giggle here and there – through the challenging stages of her transitioning, accurately describing the numerous steps which such a substantial change entails.

Courtesy of Northern Stage Theatre.

Above and Beyond is a fun-filled interactive family show. Aimed at 5-11 year olds, it is all about the children getting involved.

Courtesy of Northern Stage Theatre.

The age-old tale of Rumpelstiltskin has been reinvented and presented beautifully by balletLORENT. The tale for this piece is retold by poet Carol Ann Duffy, it is told in a simplistic way to allow the dance to complete the tale and ensure the young audience know what is going on. You know a family show is getting it right when you don’t hear all the children around you fire constant questions at their parents about what’s happening.

Courtesy of Northern Stage Theatre.

Maggie Bain captures the audience from start to finish in this one woman show. Her ability to seamlessly swap between characters and accents has me hanging on her every word. The intrinsic lighting and set of Man to Man allows the performance and production to come together perfectly.

Courtesy of The Northern Stage Theatre.