Soho Theatre, London
*****
This is one of those occasions in which I
was genuinely blown away. Bottleneck is a powerful script, and its
realisation on stage is just as strong. Playwright Luke Barnes captures the
1989 Hillsborough disaster with a sensitive and personal approach, his piece
bursting in equal measure with moments of trauma and comedy. I urge you not to
pass up the opportunity to see it.
Just to bring you up to scratch: the
Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred during the FA Cup final
between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Sheffield. It resulted in 96
fatalities and nearly 800 injuries, making it one of the worst and most
controversial football disasters to date, and one that is ingrained in the
identity of Liverpool Football Club.
Bottleneck
explores the build up to the disaster through the eyes of 14-year-old Greg,
beautifully performed by James Cooney in an impressive one-man-show. For the
first half an hour, his amusing portrayal of teenage angst and vivacity makes
you forget about the disaster alluded to in the play's title - I was completely
taken in by his playful impressions of friends and family, and anecdotes about
school life. Becoming absorbed in Greg's life before the match means that the
tragedy of the crush creeps up on you. As the events unfurled, goose bumps
prickled my skin - and that's saying something when the studio was hotter than
the sun. Do make sure you accept the usher's offer of a glass of water before
being seated, or you might shrivel like an autumn leaf under the heat of the
stage lights.
Barnes, Cooney, and director Steven
Atkinson deserve congratulations for their collaborative manipulation of the
audience's emotions. I was taken from tears of laughter to tears of terror as
Greg went from jokingly impersonating his father to describing the experience
of being trapped in the crowd. I felt claustrophobic, although Cooney stood
alone on stage- his performance transported me so that I felt as though I was
in the throng with him. Having studied drama for most of my academic life, I
was surprised to find that I could not scrutinise the performance, but only
lose myself in it. I was completely captivated.
As a Liverpool supporter who has visited
the Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield (the home of Liverpool FC) many times,
I found myself particularly affected by the piece. However, on glancing at the
faces of fellow audience members, it was clear to see that this personal
connection was not the only reason for my strong reaction. It had nothing to do
with loyalty to a team; it was a feeling of empathy evoked by Cooney's
masterful performance.
Ultimately,
Bottleneck deals with the universal experiences of friendship and loss,
and the trials and tribulations of growing up, in a beautiful collision of
writing and performance. It's a proud moment for new writing in this country
and I look forward to seeing more of Barnes' work in the future!
This production runs until 9 March
2013.
For more information: http://www.hightide.org.uk/event/bottleneck_-_soho_theatre
@sohotheatre @_HighTide_
No comments:
Post a Comment