Skip to main content

Review of UoN Fringe 2019: I Believe by OVM at The Platform Club, Northampton

It is sadly true that even back in the '90s when I was about the right age to do so, I wasn't one for busting the moves on the dance floor. Therefore when I received the advance email for this show that we were requested to wear black, bring I.D. and come to paaaartey at The Platform, I welcomed it with a lot of trepidation. However, I need not have worried too much as I left most of the moving to the other students in the audience and my esteemed blogging colleague Mr Chrisparkle, who attempted some moves of his own and looked far more the part.

I Believe from OVM - Our Voices Matter is performed by Na-Keisha Glenn in two main roles, and ably assisted by a number of other actors including Rosemarie Sheach mixing on the deck as the brilliantly introduced "token white girl". It tells the story of an innocent wannabee singer from Leicester and her pursuit to make it big from a meeting with R. Kelly, who inexplicably, is coming to Northampton.

It doesn't take much to realise where events will spiral at the mention of R. Kelly, and although they do eventually get there, in emotionally charged scenes, the buildup and atmosphere itself it as much part of the show as well. We are greeted and vetted for our right to enter by the no-nonsense nightclub manager (Glenn), and given complimentary drinks (this is a Lambrini rave) before being suggested to make them moves on the dance floor. This is all crisp and atmosphere building material, but we know something is going to happen, and that happens with the arrival of our girl from Leicester.

Glenn is great as Lisa, innocent and with a desperation to get what she wants, maybe more likely, needs. She has a great voice as she reveals what she will sing to Kelly, unsurprisingly I Believe I Can Fly, and she gets the chance, and we all know now the path that will take.

There are some truly uncomfortable scenes in this, where we are not sure whether we are meant to or should intervene. Of course, we shouldn't, it's a play, a "reconstruction", but perhaps that lack of intervention does tell on the fact that someone, earlier, should have done something.

 I Believe is powerful stuff, made better by being an "event" rather than what might have been just a relatively dry account as a play. This is what the Fringe is all about and fast becoming, the best plays are the ones that think outside the box more, and this one does, and as a result, is one of the best so far.

Performance viewed: Wednesday 1st May 2019

The Fringe Festival 2019 runs until Sunday 5th May 2019 at The Platform Club Northampton, and one show at Hazelrigg House.

Details here: Fringe Festival 2019
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Frankie Goes To Bollywood at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

There is no question that Rifco Theatre Company, the producers of Frankie Goes To Bollywood , now running at Royal & Derngate as part of a UK Tour, have come up with a cracking title for their show. However, as Bollywood descends upon Northampton, the question is, is this a gimmick title attached to a shallow show, or are we heading for Bollywood dreams? The show, unsurprisingly, follows a character named Frankie and tells the story of her dream to become a Bollywood star, a dream she shares with her best friend, Goldy. Following an opportune encounter with a famous Bollywood director, Frankie is invited to audition for his next movie, and her adventures begin. However, will the dream be the one she truly imagined? What is evident with Frankie Goes To Bollywood on stage is the love for creating a big, bold production. The staging is colourful and tries very hard to be epic, just like the Bollywood movies that it tells its story through. Unfortunately for all the boldness on offer,...
Read more

Review of Mean Girls - The Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre

The iconic 2004 teen movie Mean Girls has, despite 22 years passing, maintained relevance in modern youth culture; its “cautionary tale” still resonates. Therefore, back in 2017, original screenwriter Tina Fey created her musical adaptation of the story, maintaining the original's female empowerment and recognition of individuality while adding a little sprinkling of modernity, such as the arrival of mobile phones. It was such a success in London following a US debut that this UK Tour, now reaching Milton Keynes, was inevitable. Cady Heron, a teenager who has been home-schooled in Kenya, relocates to Chicago and confronts the fiercely competitive world at her new high school. Guided by the outcasts Janis and Damian, she strives for belonging but is soon drawn into the superficial "Plastics," ruled over by Regina George. Cady’s attempts to navigate both social circles spiral into rivalry, manipulation, and payback. While Mean Girls  may miss its target audience for this m...
Read more

Review of Single White Female at Milton Keynes Theatre

The 1990s movie Single White Female was a classic pulp fiction offering of the time, off the back of films such as Fatal Attraction and released in the same year as the legendary Basic Instinct , these were the ultimate times for erotic thrillers/bunny boiler films. So, the question is: is such a genre still relevant today, and, even more so, can a theatre play succeed in transferring the theme to a new medium altogether? Allie is a recently divorced mother trying to juggle single parenting with starting her own tech company. To help with expenses, she looks for a lodger and finds Hedy, who seems like the perfect solution. However, as they get to know each other, the lines between their lives start to blur, and what seemed like an ideal setup begins to fall apart. For those familiar with the original film, there will be immediate observations of changes that adaptor Rebecca Reid has made. While lifting the entire plot from the US to the UK is obvious, developing Allie into Bella's...
Read more