Flash Festival 2017: Being A Man by Lotus Theatre Company at Hazelrigg House, Northampton

Being a Man is an exceptionally well performed one man show and possibly one of the very best I have seen at Flash. Performed in the cramped and uncomfortable surroundings of Hazelrigg House's basement it vividly tells the story of those victims of male rape. Still often shunned by many as something that does not exist, through a series of individual stories, Javier Melhado stunningly recreates the trauma of such happenings.

It is perfect in all but one way that this production is in the basement, and lighting issues are the only reason for disappoint as the screen with some powerfully recorded video is slightly washed out. However this is about Javier's live performance though and it is one to savour as he lays everything on the line and either slightly hidden behind a gauze or right within touching distance of the audience, you are dragged totally into the pieces. Clarity of voice, cleanness of performance, and a quite incredible grasp of spatial awareness as he performs high-octane and skilful physical theatre across the dusty floor within inches of the front row.

I didn't know a great deal about the message behind this at the beginning and like many shows at Flash, it educates and I want to say entertains at the same time. However that word is wrong for a play such as this, again this is one to admire instead and appreciate. It is one of a couple of Flashes this year that have stuck in the mind for days for performance and powerful storytelling and is an exceptional piece of theatre presented in the most perfect space.

Performance viewed: Tuesday 23rd May 2017

The Flash Festival 2017 ran between Monday 22nd and Saturday 27th May 2017 at three venues across the town.

Review of The Jolly Christmas Postman at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

The Northampton Royal and Derngate have a tradition of producing a family play in the Royal Theatre alongside a spectacular pantomime in the Derngate, offering a more subtle Christmas treat for a family audience. However, this calendar staple has been missing since 2019, when the fine Pippi Longstocking graced the Royal stage and an unmentionable virus reared its head. Based on this triumphant return this year in the guise of The Jolly Christmas Postman , it has been heartily missed. Adam Peck has truly lovingly adapted The Jolly Christmas Postman for the stage from the original story by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. From the beginning, this is a proper cracker of theatre entertainment that captivates an occasionally distractable audience of all ages. The story follows the adventures of a friendly postman beset by an influx of mail on Christmas Eve and his adventures with an assortment of Fairy-Tale characters. What is, in essence, a kid's show aimed primarily at young children ...

Review of Cinderella at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

Over the last few years, the annual Royal & Derngate pantomime has been produced by Evolution Productions and from the pen of Paul Hendy. It is safe to say they have been crackers, bringing everything you expect and more from traditional pantomime. This year, they are all back, this time with their take on the very traditional story of Cinderella . So, does the magic dust fall once again successfully on the stage of the Derngate? The answer is yes, as Evolution and Hendy prove they have found the magic formula to create another successful pantomime for Derngate. There are moments this year, though, where it is too clever for its own good, with some exceptionally good jokes lost to the panto audience (yes, I got the Hacker joke, but the tumbleweed reaction suggested it didn't hit the audience present). Cast-wise, it is a solid and assured collection of performers who don't always hit the mark. Joanne Clifton, as the Fairy, is a perfect fit for panto with her infectious smile...

Review of Never Let Me Go at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 Never Let Me Go is a slightly difficult novel to categorise at times, but most call it a science-fiction speculative piece. With some limited spoilers for those unfamiliar with the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted work, Ishiguro paints a world where people, clones, are created for the benefit of medical science, destined to become donors to rid the world of deaths from solvable diseases for the rich. It is a powerful piece and while it had a successful film version back in 2010, could a stage version, now running at Royal & Derngate, work similarly? The answer to that is yes, and perhaps even better than the film version. The intimate world of the theatre feels like a stronger location for the story to unfold, bringing the piece straight to the audience with no potential interruption or break to the tale. We learn of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy's (the main protagonists) fixed life through their eyes and live their life for the long, but never dr...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

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