THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Amy Gavin and Hannah Ellis Ryan

The Shrew Gets a Manc Makeover: Unseemly Women Take On Shakespeare

The bawdy babes are back and this time, they’re not pulling any punches. Unseemly Women, HER Productions, and Girl Gang Manchester have teamed up for a burlesque-soaked, neon-splashed, full-throttle takedown of Shakespeare’s most problematic “rom-com” at HOME and it’s an absolute riot.

Under the whip-smart direction of Amy Gavin and Hannah Ellis Ryan, The Taming of the “Shrew” ditches dusty tradition for something far more visceral. Set between a glitter-drenched nightclub and the chaotic world of Padua, this all-female and non-binary ensemble slices through the Bard’s gender politics with stilettos sharpened.

The very talented cast slinks and shimmy across the stage and into the audience to ramp up the immersive aspects of this sassy production. Think Baz Luhrmann meets Blackadder on a hen do in the Northern Quarter, with a soundtrack that pivots from catchy pop tracks and bluesy vocals to the sinister horror of a slowed down Andy Williams’ Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.

Shady Murphy is magnificent as Katerina, all fire and fury before her spark is methodically and heartbreakingly extinguished. Opposite her, a brilliant Emily Spowage delivers a Petruchio that’s equal parts swagger and sadism. It’s a masterclass in gaslighting so when Petruchio insists the sun is the moon, your stomach will twist as Katerina tries to navigate around safe path through her marital nightmare.

Visually, it’s a feast: Zoe Barnes’ Vivienne Westwood-inspired wedding dress looks iconic. The Belles look suitably beguiling and risqué for this production. The pole dancing and musical elements ramp up the visual drama and showcase the multi-talented performers in this riotous piece.

This is a fun and face-paced punch to the gut that’s a glitter cannon full of feminist fury. By refusing to sanitize the original text, this production reframes it with power, purpose, and a healthy dose of revenge. Here this vibrant and talented ensemble reclaim the narrative. The odious Sly Christopher is left to watch the women like a second rate Bernard Manning gagged and trussed up like a turkey.

Catch it before it disappears in a cloud of glitter and gaslight.

HOME MCR 27TH-31ST MAY 2025

Blithe Spirit

Small Theatres

Written by Noel Coward

Directed by Hannah Ellis Ryan

Hope Mill Theatre

The latest offering from HER Productions is the sparkling screwball comedy Blithe Spirit. This Noel Coward classic sees urbane couple The Condomines entertaining some friends to an evening with the local clairvoyant Madame Arcarti. Charles Condomine callously hopes to use the evening purely as research for his latest novel. Initially the butt of arch comments and wicked jibes, the high spirited clairvoyant accidentally conjures up a real live spirit in the ectoplasmic form of Charles’ dead first wife Elvira. The resulting high jinks see the two wives desperately competing for their husband which culminates with Elvira attempting to win him over by murdering him to reunite as ghosts. Amusingly it is wife No2, Ruth that dies instead leaving both ghostly women to ultimately unite and vent their frustration on their erstwhile husband who suddenly seems to relish in his new found liberty!

The theatrical polymath that is Hannah Ellis Ryan is at the helm as Director. It may be her first outing in this role but it is an assured debut that she clearly relishes. It’s an ambitious production that makes for a highly entertaining evening despite an overly lengthy first Act.

The staging by Jenny Holt Wright does an excellent job of conveying a feel of comfortable opulence with a gleaming cocktails table and over stuffed furnishings. Although originally staged in 1941 with a definite nod to the relaxed decadence of the pre war era, this new production has gone with a Bridgerton vibe for the costumes by Hannah Bracegirdle. They certainly look lush and colourful and there are some fabulous coiffures but I’m uncertain how well the idea works within the rest of the play. Regency style costumes seem somewhat at odds with Madame Arcarti speeding around on a bicycle in trousers and Ruth being killed off in a car accident! In addition Kayleigh Hawkins as Elvira has hair and a gown that looks much more at home with a 1930s feel.

There are some sparkling performances from the cast. Peter Stone as Charles oozes rakish charm when everything is going his way. As Elvira arrives and his current marriage starts to unravel, he is by turns peevish and increasingly flustered. The result is highly amusing as we watch the supercilious man of the house be driven demented by a petulant dead wife and a bewildered and infuriated living one.

The cast of Blithe Spirit at Hope Mill Theatre Image credit: Lowri Burkinshaw

Ntombizodwa Ndlovu is wonderfully imperious as Ruth. This is a woman used to having her own way and the arrival of Elvira is certainly not tolerable. As the chaos mounts she becomes increasingly angered and threatened resulting in her losing her composure and venting her rage. It’s in the second half that she really comes into her own and any stiffness in the first Act evaporates. Kayleigh Hawkins as Elvira is perfectly cast. Her sinewy grace and brittle charm work wonderfully well as the petulant and mischievous Elvira wreaks havoc with all the nonchalant abandon of a truly Blithe Spirit.

Karen Henthorn is a great comedic turn as Madame Arcarti. Her birdlike swooping and boundless energy and enthusiasm are joyful to watch as she careers around the stage. She exudes a proper Northern charm and a total disregard for staid upper class values. At times a little shouty in her delivery; her performance is a masterclass in letting your inner child out to play on the stage.

This new production at Hope Mill Theatre once again proves what passionate and committed casts and creatives can achieve in small theatres with small budgets. Companies such as HER Productions are blazing a trail ensuring that theatre productions in Manchester remain varied and vibrant.

HOPE MILL THEATRE til 22nd February 2025

THE Dukes, Lancaster 25th Fed – 1st March 2025

COCK

Small Theatres

Written by Mike Bartlett

Directed by Rupert Hill

HER PRODUCTIONS/ Up Ere Productions

53Two

This 2009 play by Mike Bartlett caused quite a stir in London and New York when originally staged. The dilemma of a man hopelessly procrastinating over whether to choose to continue a life with his male partner of seven years or start afresh with a woman he has recently met when on a relationship break makes for an interesting premise. Perhaps originally viewed as a gritty exploration of a gay man trying to come to terms with being bisexual, COCK is much more nuanced. This Pinteresque drama is a blistering analysis of one man’s indecisiveness as he wrestles not just with his sexuality but his very sense of Self. Seemingly powerless to make a clear decision in his personal life, this production highlights just how destructive and controlling John’s behaviour is precisely because of his wavering. His partner M and new lover W are seemingly locked into this love triangle by John’s unwillingness to choose one of them as he refuses to label his sexual desire. Is he simply a selfish man wanting his cake with extra cock and cunt or is he genuinely torn with a human desire that defies a neat societal label?

Director Rupert Hill confidently tackles the complex issues raised in this meaty play. He is ably supported by a very strong cast. Joe Gill is John, the procrastinating partner whose wavering indecision makes him oblivious to the cruel impact his actions have on M and W. Gill gives John a certain likability despite the pain he inflicts on those he loves. There is genuine poignancy in this internal struggle with identity and the societal pressure to conform to the expectations of others. John O’Neill bristles with raw hurt, frustration and insecurity and misogyny. Totally immersed in his character his performance is mesmerising even off stage when he watches John and W with an almost voyeuristic intent.

John O’Neill and Joe Gill in COCK at 53Two Image credit: Shay Rowan

Hannah Ellis Ryan is gutsy and vibrant as W; intensely set on getting John to choose her. It’s easy to see the attraction she draws from John as her character enthrals him with her positivity and enthusiasm. The scene where John discovers heterosexual sex is witty and perfectly pitched and Ellis Ryan nails it. With legs akimbo at one end of the bare stage, she gleefully sets the scene with a pose reassembling a goalpost awaiting a winning penalty goal. Colin Connor is the father hell-bent on protecting his son’s relationship with a mixture of floundering confusion and genuine love for both men. This performance adds real rich humour and warmth to the dinner party from hell as the other chief protagonists battle over John.

It’s a credit to the production and the actors that some of the raw edges in this Bartlett play matter less than they should. It would be easy to dismiss John as not worth either characters love, or wonder if W is not just a tad obsessed or that M is coercive and controlling. Instead the focus is on the electrifying energy on the stage which seems powerful enough to charge the four lamps that mark the corners of this otherwise unadopted stage. The sound arrangement by Alec Waters is the only other adornment to subtly reflect the emotional charge onstage and does so very effectively. The closing scene gives no really satisfying conclusion and here it doesn’t need to as the acting itself is the icing on this cake.

53TWO 13th – 17th November 2024

The Taming of the “Shrew”

Shakespeare, Small Theatres

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Amy Gavin and Hannah Ellis Ryan

HOPE MILL THEATRE

The bawdy babes are back with another co-production from Unseemly Women, HER Productions and Girl Gang Manchester. Here this all female and non-binary collective take on Shakespeare’s portrayal of gender roles and a women’s place in a marriage. Under the spirited direction of Amy Gavin and Hannah Ellis Ryan this production zeroes in on the enduring horror of coercive control and the mind numbing impact of gaslighting. As the Bellas teach their drunken patron Sly a lesson he won’t easily forget, the audience get to watch as the action moves from a neon pink burlesque club to Padua where the “Shrew” Katerina and her sister Bianca are wooed by a selection of potential suitors.

Katerina is a force of nature who takes no prisoners and does not mince her words. As her father offers a large dowry on her being married before her younger and more malleable sister Bianca, Petruchio decides he is up the challenge of taming this wildcat. Multiple suitors are also vying for the hand of Bianca and as Shakespeare loves a confusing twist, the wealthy Lucentio is mascarading as a tutor to woo Bianca while his servant Tranio pretends to be his Master. Katerina is forced into marriage and her new husband sets in place an abusive plan to ensure his new wife is broken in like a wild horse.

Emily Spowage and Shady Murphy in The Taming of The “Shrew” at Hope Mill Theatre Image credit: Shay Rowan

The whole production has a feel of Baz Luhrmann meets Blackadder on a Hens night out in the Northern Quarter. The costumes look fabulous and strikingly individual. Zoe Barnes has been incredibly creative and adds real visual impact especially in the Vivienne Westwood inspired wedding dress which Shady Murphy is forced into. In fact everything about this production feels considered and creative from the lighting by Tom Sutcliffe to the sound by Hannah Bracegirdle and movement by Yandass Ndlovu.

It’s great to seem a dozen female and non binary performers on stage doing their thing and strutting their stuff. There is a real immersive feel to this production with the audience seated traverse and with some seated at candle lit tables in the burlesque club itself. The pole dancing by Leah Eddleston and the bluesy vocals of Megan Holland really add to the nightclub vibe.

Shady Murphy as Katerina nails her performance as the confident force of nature brought to her knees by an abusive husband. She is at turns vibrant and vociferous before being broken and cowed by her husband. Emily Spowage as Petruchio is also utterly compelling as the leering Lothario who verbally spars with his bride-to-be before his chilling shift into sadistic bridegroom who has his whole household flinching as they observe his cold cruelty.

This is a brilliant take on one of the Bard’s more difficult plays. In particular the scenes where Andy Williams Can’t Take My Eyes of You is used and at points dramatically slowed down, really ramps up the quiet terror of coercive control. The scene where Petruchio argues the sun is the moon and challenges Katerina’s very reality now plays as gaslighting behaviour. Gavin and Ellis Ryan have kept the original text and by not shying away from it have enabled this cast to reframe the narrative for the sisterhood. Sly Christopher may be a misogynistic boor in the manner of a Bernard Manning but here he sits bound and with a gag in his mouth.

HOPE MILL THEATRE 19th -30th June 2024

VIGNETTES

Large Theatres

Written by Alex Keelan, Zoe Iqbal, Maz Hedgehog, Debbie Oates, Lekhani Chirwa and Lyndsay Williams

Directed by Kate Colgrave-Pope, Gitika Buttoo, Ifeoma Uzo, Bryony Shanahan, Amy Gavin and Ellie Rose

CONTACT THEATRE

VIGNETTES has been showcasing the work of local female and non-binary writers since 2020 and has rapidly become an established part of the Manchester theatre network. Set up by HER Productions and local playwright Alex Keelan each one focuses on stories from the female perspective.

The latest offering honours 45 years of Manchester Rape Crisis , with each of the short plays inspired by stories from the organisation woven around a play by Alex Keelan which outlines the history of the organisation. 1973-2023 introduces each of the other pieces by the haunting ring of the helpline phone. Joyce Branagh is excellent in her portrayal of one of the women inspired by her own experience to establish an organisation to support women after rape or sexual assault. Her portrayal of neat as a pin Joyce reflects the quiet stoicism of a woman who can be wearily matter of fact that you could be the most ladylike lady and you could still get raped. She appears in each segment as the decades pass reflecting the grass roots start, the gradual growth, the failed bids for funding and the successful ones that see the organisation both flounder and expand at the mercy of never having core government funding. Unseen and powerfully moving is Mary who remains on stage throughout in her cardboard house. Keelan uses a less is more approach to beautiful effect by keeping her unseen but never forgotten as a tribute to all those unseen traumatised women that rape imprisons in their homes or minds while the perpetrators roam free in a Society that still makes convictions for sexual assaults so difficult.

The other 5 short plays are varied and rich in their subject matter. Zoe Iqbal uses Bhaijaan to look at issues around abuse and consent within an arranged marriage when family shame can be more damning than abuse. Burdens by Maz Hedgehog explores a mother/daughter relationship where history repeats itself when both find themselves in abusive relationships and a daughter initiates help for her mother but finds herself asking the helpline Can a woman rape another woman? This is a well written piece with strong performances with an excellent Krissi Bohn stepping into her role as the mother at very short notice.

A Day in the Life Of by Lekhani Chirwa and Broken by Lindsay Williams both focus on the stress and difficulties for staff working for Manchester Rape Crisis. The first piece explores coping mechanisms and the importance of mentoring and features a really vibrant performance by Alicia Forde. The second piece features a blistering performance by Lois Mackie as an I.S.V.A (Independent Sexual Violence Advocate). It outlines the unimaginable strain on victims who wait for court dates and the difficulties of getting a conviction. In raising awareness of the importance of victim support it also asks the question why the lack of convictions seems to make sexual assault virtually decriminalised.

The central play by Debbie Oates bridges all the other plays as Lifelines tells the story of Yvonne who was supported by the helpline and is now ready to take her first call as a volunteer. At the heart of this subject matter is the importance of women listening to each other and creatinga safe space. Director Bryony Shanahan and the always wonderful Julie Hesmondhalgh make every word count in this sensitive piece. There is humour and a huge heart at the core of this story of a middle aged woman raped as a young girl who through the support of the helpline has finally learned to breathe again and most days can walk beside it…around it…most days.

Julie Hesmondhalgh in Lifelines. Vignettes at CONTACT.
Image credit: Shay Rowan

The production closes with a celebration for Yvonne as she finally retires. Joyce Branagh and the cast raise a glass on stage, then invite the audience to stand and for a moment think of all those unseen women in Manchester, the North West and of course within the audience itself. VIGNETTES producers Hannah Ellis Ryan and Alex Keelan can be justly proud of their achievements as tonight was a fitting tribute to an amazing and vital organisation.

CONTACT THEATRE 4th/5th October 2023

Things We Want

Small Theatres, Uncategorized

Hope Mill Theatre

Written by Jonathon Marc Sherman

Directed by Daniel Bradford

One innocuous window in a set that is mainly comprised of doors. Yet this window ten stories up is the Russian roulette of double glazing. Parents, wheelchairs, VHS tapes, remote controls are hurled out and there are a few near misses with several siblings. For all its bland decor this is a high octane living room which sets the scene for this production. Three brothers who are like emotional volcanoes operating out of sync. At any one point there is usually one comatose on the couch with another erupting while a third is seemingly calm but bubbling under with something dark. The catalyst for them to swap places is usually the presence of the sunny faced but equally troubled Stella pertly played by Hannah Ellis Ryan.

Play With Fire and Swaggering Crow have chosen well with this production. The acting is full blown and fast paced as it should be in what feels like a live recording of a television sitcom. The writing is mainly slickly delivered quips and witticisms with some cracking one – liners. The strong cast make good use of this gallows humour as everyone avoids their own emotional pain with sex, drugs, booze, bonsai or psychobabble quacks like Dr Miracle. The theme of addiction and how we safely or harmfully feed our psychological pain is alluded to but never satisfactorily addressed in this quickfire trip through the mess left by a family rocked by tragedy.

There are some great performances from cast most notably Alex Phelps as Teddy as he shifts gear in the second act and moves from the autobot big brother spewing empty platitudes to the conniving train wreck on the couch. William J Holstead as Sty continues his trajectory as a great character actor with superb comic timing who is just electric when on stage. Paddy Young charms as the petulant younger brother desperate for love.

This is a well- paced play about some very dark subject matters. Director and cast are clearly having fun with a great script and packed houses at Hope Mill suggests all round success.

Hope Mill Theatre 30th May- 9th June