MIXED UP NORTH To 5 December.

Tour.

MIXED UP NORTH
by Robin Soans.

Out of Joint and Octagon Theatre Bolton Tour to 5 December 2009.
Runs 2hr 25min One interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 29 September at Royal and Derngate (Royal auditorium) Northampton.

Theatre about theatre about life.
If you want attention, cause a stir. Riots in 2001 in the Lancashire town of Burnley (‘difficulties’ to the council) led to any number of projects: outreach, youth, community. Writer Robin Soans creates an ethnically-mixed youth theatre company organised by born-again Trish, directed by Bella. They’ve reached the dress rehearsal of their mixed-marriage Bollywood play, admitting us as their invited audience.

Both these organising spirits are White; with young men generally unwilling to act and young Asian women prevented by their families, it’s surprising there are so many Asians around. It’s one of many sleights of hand Soans (a fine actor and dab hand at verbatim cut-and-paste scripts) and director Max Stafford-Clark employ.

Another is that, for all the play’s about social issues, its major rift arises from personalities. And, for all the tough material and vivid discussion of social issues, it culminates in an out-of-the-blue sentimental ending, plus a finale that shows awareness of Slumdog Millionaire’s feelgood success.

Soans and Stafford-Clark, with an alert, energetic cast, supply a lively comic opening with plenty of robust character-sparring, before settling into more sustained reports of individual experiences.

Things are craftily spiced post-interval by the arrival of a councillor (the Authority’s attitude to the group is fund-and-ignore). A less convincing character, with political attitudes rather than personal experience, he introduces a major question: is Burnley better-served by telling home truths or promoting a positive image?

Behind the personal stories and comedy (food-provider Jen a quick-flashing jewel of comic portrayal; her ability to shift sandwiches and cake but not salad making its own metaphor) there’s an economic analysis updating David Edgar’s 1976 play Destiny. That studied the National Front, whose be-suited derivative the BNP is a side-issue for the Asians here.

Edgar showed racism as the disguise for problems created by big business. Now, ironically, a former cotton-town which imported cheap labour suffers unemployment while ‘our’ jobs are exported to even cheaper labour in ‘their’ countries.

While the play’s origins in interviews is apparent, they’re skilfully sewn together and presented with apparent artlessness by a cast who might have lived these lives themselves.

Sarfraz: Kaf Khan.
Aftab: Asif Khan.
Colin/Roy: Matthew Wait.
Bella: Kathryn O’Reilly.
Tamsin: Lorna Stuart.
Trish: Judith Amsenga/Celia Imrie.
Jen: Mia Soteriou.
Javed/Bilal: Tyrone Lopez.
Kylie: Lisa Kerr.
Maureen/Catherine: Claire Rafferty.
Uday: Muzz Khan.
Aneesa: Stephanie Street.
Wendy: Rose Leslie.

Director: Max Stafford-Clark.
Designer: Jonathan Fensom.
Lighting: Tim Bray.
Sound: Andy Smith.
Composer: Felix Cross.
Choreographer/Associate director: Jessica Swale.
Assistant director: Elizabeth Newman.

2009-09-30 09:22:06