Simon Waters – Live Art Alive

In The Time Of Dragons

Immersive Theatre, Musical, Small Theatres

Written and Directed by Janine Waters

Music by Simon Waters and Alec Waters

The Edge Theatre

Stepping into the theatre for this production is an immediate immersion into 1960s club life. The opulent deep red of the theatre space is a perfect foil to the blue neon sign for The Blue Angel. A smartly dressed Alec Waters is seated at the piano and the side of stage is dotted with tables with lamps and tablecloths giving the audience the option to watch the show from the stalls or within the club itself. When Chanteuse Sheelagh Bell steps up to the microphone onstage in her gold lamè dress it really does feel like being in an intimate club setting.

Writer and Director Janine Waters has lovingly crafted this production into something quite magical. Each character feels fully fleshed out and utterly believable. It would have been easy to slip into a pastiche of the Swinging Sixties but thankfully Waters has a light touch and the piece feels very fresh and acutely observed. This is an ambitious piece for a small theatre as it frequently flits from the club in 1965 to a classroom setting in 2024 and a Salford flat simultaneously in both eras. The set design by David Howarth is highly effective and deceptively simple. Especially in scenes where the two eras collide as the divan beds align with a crumpled stripe duvet and a neat pastel counterpane.

The two central characters are nightclub singer Sheelagh and teacher Jack. Making her professional debut is Megan Keaveney who is perfectly cast as the pretty young singer navigating a disappointing marriage while pursuing her dream of a record deal and a career in music. Her vocal delivery is impressive and I’d probably pay to see her perform these songs in a nightclub now or in the Sixties. Coronation Street veteran Rupert Hill is great as the crumpled music teacher who abandoned his musical dreams for a love that turned sour. He is initially downbeat and desperate but his character starts to grow in confidence and stature as he finds his way back back to a love of music. Both characters act as a perfect foil for each other to make momentous shifts. The other two performers adeptly take on a number of roles. Tom Guest brings warmth and humour to his role as the kindly club manager and clearly relishes his role as the feckless husband/manager. His rendition of “That’s My Job” brings the house down. A catchy tune with pithy, witty lyrics that poke sly, gentle fun at men with a wandering eye who refuse to blame their big Y chromosome. Hannah Nuttall gives a really subtle performance as the stoic dresser who loves Shellagh and is comfortable in her own sexuality. Nuttall is quietly luminous as Anne and its impossible not to be routing for her to have her happy ending too.

Tom Guest as Frank in In The Time of Dragons at The Edge Theatre 📷Joel Fildes

This production is peppered with witty asides and genuine humour and the songs are uniformly strong with great tunes from Simon and Alec Waters, the clever lyrics drive the narrative and never feel shoehorned into the production. Running at 80 minutes without interval this could easily have sustained a longer running time and an interval. There is real love invested in the story telling and a celebration of the power of music, friendship and kindness. In The Time of Dragons is a worthy follow up to Spinach. I look forward to seeing what the creative team at The Edge do next.

THE EDGE THEATRE 19th Feb – 9th March 2024

Spinach

Small Theatres

Charlotte Linighan and Joe Parker as Kate and Joe.

Written and Directed by Janine Waters

Music and Lyrics by Simon Waters

The Edge

It’s not often you take your seat in the theatre by walking past an attractive young couple drugged and tied up in a hostage situation. Last night was certainly a first for me. As the show begins and its clear that every word of dialogue is sung and that halloumi kebabs rather than spinach are going to be integral to the plot…well its fair to say I’m experiencing a little trepidation. It wears off quicker than the drugs being administered on stage as I’m swept up in this rollicking yarn about kebabs, buses, romance and pharmaceuticals.

Janine Waters and Simon Waters debuted Spinach ten years ago at the Royal Exchange so it’s rather fitting that they are reviving the production to celebrate the tenth birthday of the beautiful boutique theatre The Edge in Chorlton which they established with Dom Waters. Spinach doesn’t fit any clear theatrical genre and feels quite unique, but all the way through it I kept thinking that Victoria Wood would rejoice at being in the audience for this production. The show exudes a playfulness and energy that perfectly reflect its co-creators. Fizzing with witty lines and confident direction Spinach is further enhanced by the scoring which is just delightful; this is feelgood theatre entertainment at its best.

The cast of four play off each other perfectly and each character feels well crafted and fleshed out. Fresh out of drama school Charlotte Linighan really shines as hostage Kate. She brings both sweet innocence and an impish humour that is wonderfully engaging as she plays off Joe Parker as Tom. The onstage chemistry between them is impressive given that a lot of their time on stage has them tied together back to back. Craig Whittaker and Rachael McGuinness are both perfectly cast and ensure that their characters Darren and Maureen are likely to be permanently etched in memory like any great comedy double act.

Spinach is a delightfully bonkers story about how we can find love in the most unlikely places. This is a confident production which really is a pleasure to watch. Perfect entertainment in a beautifully refurbished theatre that is quite simply a great night out.

The Edge 30th Nov – 18th Dec 2021

THEY CAN’T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME

Small Theatres, Uncategorized

THE EDGE THEATRE

Written and Directed by Janine Waters

Music & Lyrics by Simon Waters

The sun is shining, the food at The Dressing Room is tasty and plentiful and the garden at The Edge Theatre is colourful with lush flowers and bright balloons. It feels like a garden party and it is indeed time to party. This is a celebration of the wonderful creative partnership between The Edge Theatre and The Booth Centre who work with people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Last year’s show A Spanish Adventure was really impressive. Today’s performance is also a celebratory homage to our NHS turning 70 on July 5th.

This is a labour of love with a backdrop of blue hospital curtains and NHS health signage dotted around. The cast are clad in the pastel hues of a wide range of NHS staff. Hospital beds and wheelchairs glide across the stage and at one point forceps, stethoscopes and other medical implements are amusingly used to form the percussion for one of the musical numbers.

The performance uses a range of skits, songs and choreographed pieces to acknowledge the value and significance of the NHS in our lives. Whether rich or poor, sick or well, we are all so used to its existence we might easily forget it only sprang into existence in the second half of the last century. We take it for granted and in this performance there are timely reminders of its inherent value, what we lacked before it’s creation and what may follow if we don’t fight to protect our NHS services.

The music is gorgeous with all new numbers written by Simon Waters apart from the Gershwin classic as title song. The lyrics are witty and wry and competently delivered by the cast and a truly wonderful chorus comprised of Connie Hartley, Jessica McLinden and Michael Christopher.

There is some lovely humour and slapstick clowning with great comic timing that is balanced by some emotive and genuinely poignant pieces. The closing speech is beautifully written and delivered wonderfully by a younger cast member. It alludes to the strong connection we all have as our NHS does literally pull each of us into this world and holds many of us as we leave it. We owe it an immense debt and need to protect it, and this performance is a lovely reminder. It’s Your Birthday….Leave the worrying to Us. We are many and we are mighty.

The Edge Theatre 5-7th July

A Spanish Adventure

Musical, Small Theatres

THE EDGE THEATRE

Written and Directed by Janine Waters

Music and Lyrics by Simon Waters

“Welcome to the mass movement of giving a toss about stuff” Julie Hesmondhalgh, Patron, The Edge.

It’s 1936 and the far right are threatening the existence of a small family run art centre in the days before the Spanish Civil War. It is an easy leap to today and the ongoing erosion of arts Funding in Britain. Community Arts organisations such as The Edge do battle every day to keep their doors open and get funding to make Art that really makes a difference.

Today was testament to when it all comes together and something wonderful happens. This afternoon a welcoming Dressing Room cafe and a flowery garden and cosy red theatre space was filled to capacity to celebrate The Arts Council money being well spent. The 3 year association between The Edge and The Booth Centre has flourished.

The Booth Centre Theatre Company filled the space with drama, music, dance and mime. The show was funny, clever and provocative throughout. The cheers and claps at the end were not polite but well earned and infectious.

I talked to one of the especially impressive performers afterwards. Catherine Bowen-Colthurst has both volunteered at The Booth Centre and been a service user. The benefits and opportunities in theatre which she has experienced are obvious. As is her quiet delight in her involvement and the diligence and talent which she brought to her performance.

The afternoon ended in Patron Julie Hesmondhalgh opening the new studio space as The Edge adventure on another day and hopefully never have to close their doors through lack of funding.

Saturday 17th June