SULLY. To 27 May.

Hull

SULLY
by Dave Windass

Hull Truck Theatre To 27 May 2007
Runs 2hr 10min One interval
Review: Timothy Ramsden 26 May

Warm-hearted story of a local hero.
It’s hardly flattering to be remembered as a local radio travel-news hot-spot. Especially when, like Clive Sullivan, the Black Welshman who became Hull’s Rugby League hero, you ran pitch-length to score, and took Great Britain to World Cup victory in 1972.

Dave Windass has ensured Sullivan another memorial besides the oft-clogged Clive Sullivan Way. His bio-drama plays well in Hull Truck style, with directors Gareth Tudor Price and Martin Barrass, experienced Truckers both, throwing in every device in the company’s stylebook to ensure a rousing celebratory evening.

No question of any shading, or awkward questions; nothing’s going to sully this reputation. And maybe Sullivan was the ideal person shown here, a love-at-first-sight family man, nobody’s enemy, calmly brushing off the racism that’s only introduced by Windass some time after it would have become evident in Sully’s life.

The playwright’s created an apt situation to frame the life-story, grimly reflecting a story about someone who died early, but allowing for ultimate optimism.

This frame also introduces the east-west rivalry in the city, bridged by Sullivan who played for both Hull City FC and Kingston Rovers in his career. No doubting the importance of this, given the cheers and boos alternating as Fidel Nanton’s Sully reveals first one then the other team’s shirts. But there’s no blood in the aisles. This isn’t Shankhill and the Falls, let alone the West Bank.

Windass gives Sullivan one reference to making money, several to uniting the great city. But he shies off exploring motivations, while Nanton’s performance suitably offers the withdrawn tones of reflection from after-life rather than reactions direct from life. These are capably provided by fellow cast-members Lee Green and Amy Thompson.

Though there’s a definite overlarding of Elgar’s Nimrod, the only serious fault is a long final monologue which attempts to sweep up everything that might not have been made clear. Better to have kept it to a few sentences. But as Elgar makes a final appearance and the black-and-white archive stills burst into colour video of Sullivan running down the pitch, even a stranger in Humberside can join in the cheering.

Clive Sullivan: Fidel Nanton
Max: Lee Green
Chelle: Amy Thompson

Directors: Gareth Tudor Price, Martin Barrass
Designer/Lighting: Graham Kirk
Costume: Samantha Robinson

2007-05-30 15:16:49