Theatre Review: Man To Man - Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

Image Source: Everyman Theatre

Written By: Scott Gunnion

Format: Play
Genre: Drama
Date: October 25 2017
Location: Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

Man to Man is a one-woman-show that unites gender bending with Nazi Germany, complete with inexplicable and deeply misplaced Scottish accents. Seriously. That might sound like a brilliantly bonkers combination, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

This is the tale of a woman who adopts her husband’s identity after he dies in order to step into his shoes in the workplace and survive Nazi Germany. But the plot doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny; as if nobody in her husband’s workplace is going to notice his newly-feminine curves and edges, the lack of Adam’s apple or five o’clock shadow.

Even Maggie Bain, protagonist Ella’s, best Groundskeeper Willie impression still manages sounds like an unmistakably female Glaswegian trade unionist or a female character from Rab C. Nesbitt, and that’s not to detract from the talent of the one-woman in question.

Maggie Bain puts in an excellently charismatic performance, complete with the previously referred to unexplained Scottish accent. At times, the impact of the performance was really powerful. You come away from it with a sense of having delved deep into the psyche of a mind walking the plank between sanity and insanity.

But the play fails to address the stresses and hardships faced by people who identity as transgender; the protagonist never does identify as transgender, though for all intents and purposes she might as well be. There is a real sense of claustrophobic and isolation that permeates throughout this production courtesy of the minimalist set comprised of single bed and armchair.

Apparently, the play is to translate to New York; that seems a rather undeserved milestone to have accomplished with this dry and lacklustre production. This is a production that hinges heart and soul on the heavy shoulders of the sole performer.

Bain’s is an excellent performance that resuscitates and breathes life into a stale and uninspiring script, a script which says nothing new and has nothing new or interesting to say in respect of an already widely dramatized era in history. It elevates the play from below average to just plain average.

I was bored senseless throughout. Unless you were an enemy of mine, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Overall Rating: 3/10 - Flawed

Theatre Review: Last Train To Auschwitz

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Play
Genre: Drama
Date: September 21 2017
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool, England

Last Train To Auschwitz, which has just returned to Liverpool's Epstein Theatre, is on many occasions a harrowing, un-nerving and disturbing show to watch. And yet it is also extremely well-performed, bringing to life the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps in a way that few shows, films or television dramas have ever been able to achieve.

This is less a show and more a snapshot; almost like a recreation of events, rather than a presentation of highs and lows. Because the highs do not exist here; it is one low after another, as Last Train To Auschwitz focuses on a group of people whose lives have been drastically changed by the Nazi dictatorship led by Adolf Hitler, which has ultimately seen them transported by train to the most notorious concentration camp of them all in Auschwitz.

We meet two families, with one gypsy grandmother looking after two children named Karl and Anna, and another mother (Miriam, played by Crissy Rock) looking after her two daughters, one of whom - Rachel - has lost her mind due to the chaos caused by World War II. We also meet two sisters, Sarah and Ruth. Ruth is a famous movie star, whose Jewish heritage has nevertheless resulted in her being part of the cast heading to Auschwitz. All are Jewish or Gypsy, and though there are tense arguments, any lingering animosity is overcome by the sheer terror and fear of what is likely to happen to them, partly influenced by the abuse they receive, both verbally and physically, on the train journey alone.

Once they have arrived, things only get worse, with one horrifying incident after another defining their lives, essentially until they become too weak to fight back and die, as terrible as that sounds. The pain that these women and children feel gets worse and worse, with some choosing to risk it all for the small glimmer of hope that they might somehow escape the horrendous conditions they find themselves in. The intimidating presence of the Beast, and his assistant Gretchen (a Jewish lady herself who sides with the Nazis to save her own family from further torture), ensures that the victims continuously lose faith and hope, simply suffering as they slowly die.

Though the entire show is extremely sad and tough to watch, the saddest scenes come towards the end when we realise that only the grandmother managed to survive the ordeal, after allied forces came in to rescue the victims from the camps after the war ended, only to pass away herself suddenly. Though she reunites with those she met along the way in Heaven to close the performance, it is nevertheless a heavy toll to take on the emotions of the audience that this appalling situation, which these characters find themselves in solely because of their religious beliefs, literally has no happy ending for anyone involved. Worst of all is the knowledge that this and many experiences similar to this actually happened during World War II.

The use of still photographs as the background setting is powerful and speaks volumes without saying a word, as do the lack of additional scenery, the minimal props (benches, chairs, a table and a bed) and the lack of any background music. This creates a stark reality and immediately tells the audience that, as odd as this may sound, this is not a show that you will enjoy, but rather an educational experience which is impossible not to touch the emotions of those in attendance.

It was hard at times to make out some of what was being said. The dialogue wasn't always audible due to poor microphones; depending where on the stage that the characters were, some lines couldn't be picked up. Also, certain lines were spoken a little too quickly because, whilst all involved maintained German accents throughout, this led to moments where one couldn't understand what they were hearing. Also, the first half was surprisingly short at 35 minutes, which made the second half at almost 60 minutes a bit of a struggle to watch; a 45/45 split would have been more advisable.

Nevertheless, these minor issues can't take away the fact that this is a very compelling production. It was very interesting that people from three completely different backgrounds, with their own unique circumstances, all bringing them together, and bringing them closer to one another as they couldn't help but bond and care for one another through the torture they were going through. Each person's situations explained why they were on the train, and though they cared little for each other when they first met, they built up safety and support for one another, at times willingly taking punishment to prevent others from receiving such treatment, in particular the young children. It's ironic, but also very disheartening, that ultimately the only way that Miriam can protect her youngest daughter is to end her life herself.

The play portrayed the hopelessness and dread of the captives, but it also provided hope in demonstrating how their friendships became their survival technique. It was very well-acted, the story was easy to follow (partly due to the well-known historical nature of Auschwitz), and everybody involved was completely believable. Crissy Rock steals the show as Miriam with a heart-wrenching portrayal, a major contrast to her usual jolly and comedic self, and her rendition of Yiddishe Mama was very moving; however, all cast members should be proud of their performances.

It's an extremely tough show to watch, so it won't be for everybody, but if you can handle the dark and disturbing subject matter, this is well worth going to see, and it does end on a high note as the characters, now in Heaven, join in with the audience as they clap along to Hava Nagila.

If you want a real insight into what went on at Auschwitz, and a true understanding about what so many members of the German population were forced to endure during the Second World War, I highly recommend that you see this show.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

Helen Forrester's Twopence To Cross The Mersey

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Play
Genre: Drama
Date: March 17 2015
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool, England

Based on the famous book of the same name, and following a very successful musical adaptation, Helen Forrester's Twopence To Cross The Mersey is currently showing as a stage play at the Epstein Theatre. Although the main plot is the same, this version tells the story in a very different way, but the key messages that come from the show are as prevalent as they are in its previous incarnations.

Twopence To Cross The Mersey is a true story which is set in the early 1930s. It is focused on a family which had previously been wealthy when living in the capital, but since the Great Depression, they had no choice to leave behind nannies, servants and other characters and characteristics which embodied middle-class life at the time, and they moved from the South-West to the North-West. Their reason for coming to Liverpool was the potential for new employment and a fresh start, having heard good things from friends and relatives who had also come to the region.

However, they soon discover that the prosperity they had seeked would not be easy to achieve. Just finding accommodation proves difficult enough, and finding work is even more of a challenge. It takes many false dawns and very small steps forward for the family to just make progress, never mind obtaining the lifestyle which they had hoped for. As it turns out, it takes a very long time before the family can start to truly enjoy their new lives.

Not all is as it seems, though. For there is a prevailing feeling that the mother of the family (played by Emma Dears) is less inclined to make the sacrifices and do the things necessary to keep her family going. Not only does she take great reluctance in looking after her own young children - and she is a mother of seven - but she finds it beneath her to mix with people of a lower class who are trying to help them in any way possible, and she believes that she should not have to put in as much work as her husband (Christopher Jordan), who finds it very hard to get work, but still believes that she should reap the financial benefits if and when they do get paid. This includes spending money on new clothes for herself and more flashy household items instead of providing the basics for her large family.

But the central character is the daughter, Helen (played by Maria Lovelady). Early on, we see that she is assigned the task of looking after the youngest child during daytimes while times are hard, but we soon realise that even as the family begin to turn their luck around, her role is pre-determined to remain the same: as a woman, in their mind, she should not worry about getting an education (her attempts to attend school are prevented continuously by roadblocks placed in front of her by the family), or getting a job in the future, and should instead be satisifed with the propsect of one day being a housewife. This crushes her spirit more severely as the play goes on, and it soon comes to a crossroads when an opportunity comes up which she only gets to briefly experience, but when she learns the truth, she believes that her chances of finally breaking away are permanently wrecked. She receives advice from others along the way, but her big dilemma remains: does she have a chance to achieve a future of her own accord, or will she forever remain someone whose destiny is decided by her very controlling family?

I thought the show took its time to get going, due to the slower pace than in its other productions, but things do eventually flow and one can see the quality of the performances; the story is narrated on-stage by characters between scenes, which is something different, but it is the storytelling during the scenes themselves which make the biggest impact. Emma attracts the desired amount of dislike as the stuck-up mother who considers herself too important for menial tasks. Christopher is very good as the father who manages to keep his composure and stick to his posh roots, even through the more challenging situations. The other characters perform well, but the standout star of the show is undoubtedly Maria as Helen. It is very hard to pull off such a drama-entailed young lady whose existence is surrounded by negativity yet retains optimism and can stand up for herself when necessary. One can feel her disappointment, her struggle, her sense of injustice at her predicament, and some of her scenes are very emotional, so when she does get opportunities to progress, they do not feel predictable, and you are happy that this character is getting what she wants, albeit whilst still having to fight for her goals.

I thought that one downside of the play, without giving too much away, is that certain plotlines or character clashes are not fully developed or do not reach a satisfactory conclusion. Whilst the ending makes sense, it feels rushed, and I was expecting something else to happen. I also felt that the climax itself felt a little too stage-like for what had, up until then, had come across as a real drama in a theatre setting.

Overall, I felt that this was a good show. It is a show which will appeal to an older audience, not only for the old-fashioned setting, situations and elements (the backgrounds are built to look like old-style Liverpool, and there are a few props tailored to that era, including a silver-cross pram), but because it is slow-paced and tells then story in a quiet, unspectacular way. So, if you are not som,eone who enjoys plays which are largely serious and take time to develop, you may not enjoy this. And if you have read the book or if you saw the musicalm it is debatable as to whether or not this will meet your expectations. But as a show which tells a logical story from a time which many are familiar with but is now a thing of the past, it is an enjoyable and very well-performed production, and for those who wish to know more about Liverpool life in the early-to-mid 20th century, this is a play worth seeing to give you a better understanding of what life was like and what challenges people had to face.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good