Chickenshed Theatre Archives - Page 2 of 6

Feel the Love

Chickenshed Theatre

Reviewed – 2nd July 2019

★★★★

“beautifully scripted words, sometimes modern, occasionally classic and often poetic”

In July 2016, the Chickenshed Youth Theatre company put on a show called ‘Feel The Love’. This proved to be so popular with audiences, that they have brought it back. With a fresh crop of students sharing new ideas and a world that has moved on, why not?

This current production started to take shape last July, when a steering group of thirty youngsters got together to structure ideas and concepts. The rest of the company gradually got involved and throughout the year, developed a wealth of material to a stage where they were able to direct, choreograph and create their visions.

Their huge theatre was used to great effect. The audience sat in four small clusters, a small centre stage was flanked by many outer stages outside the seated areas and a surrounding gallery was used with terrific impact, as words and dance materialised from every conceivable angle.

As the floor at the top of the show, was flooded by light from the simple opening of a door, I knew we were in for a treat. The actors tackled subjects such as dating, family, turf wars, LGBT and a particularly moving section on loneliness that drove the message home that what you see on the outside, is not necessarily what is going on in the inside.

The music was terrific, from a gentle underscore to full production numbers. The band members seemed to constantly be changing and the variety of soloists were all tremendous. Personal favourites of mine were a rendition of ‘Somebody To Love‘ that started off as a stripped back version and morphed into a full blown choral anthem and a rap song ‘I Love Myself‘ that was delivered with such belief and energy that it sent pulses of electricity sizzling through the room.

All the beautifully scripted words, sometimes modern, occasionally classic and often poetic, were accompanied by contemporary dance movements ranging from a leapfrog that Lebron James would have been proud of, to the tenderest of touches, all of which had a stunning visual impact. To look inside the mind of two hundred and fifty teenagers could be a terrifying thought and yet their wisdom, thoughtfulness and brutal honesty was inspiring. With all these bodies dancing at the same time, there could have been chaos and yet their spacial awareness and teamwork was a joy to behold.

Chickenshed invest in their students, champion diversity and inclusivety and this was beautifully evident throughout. Video clips of talking heads throughout the show asked ‘What is love’? The answer seemed to be that it’s different things to different people. I know that last night, I fell a little bit in love with Chickenshed and the tremendous work that they do. I hope that every teenager who has been involved in this show, leaves the theatre each night with their head held high and pride in their heart.

Bravo Chickenshed, you guys were awesome.

Reviewed by Chris White

Photography by Caz Dyer

Feel the Love

Chickenshed Theatre until 12th July

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Monolog | ★★★ | February 2018

Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow | ★★★★ | March 2018

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest | ★★★ | April 2018

Mr Stink | ★★★★★ | July 2018

Jekyll & Hyde | ★★★★ | September 2018

A Christmas Carol | ★★★★★ | November 2018

Christmas Tales | ★★★ | December 2018

Monolog 2 | ★★★ | February 2019

100% Chance Of Rain | ★★★ | March 2019

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com

100% Chance of Rain

Chickenshed Theatre

Reviewed – 11th March 2019

★★★

“There are many engaging elements of this show”

Chickenshed Theatre prides itself on creating theatre in response to issues which are ever-present in our society. Following last spring’s critically acclaimed show, Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, they present 100% Chance of Rain, which focuses on mental health and wellbeing.

The show, conceived and directed by Lou Stein, consists of seven standalone segments highlighting different issues relating to the main topic of mental health. These are split up with the addition of an art therapist character, Liz Abulafia (Belinda McGuirk), delivering various monologues and introducing the different parts. Each piece was devised as a result of workshops in which the young performers were encouraged to share their experiences and thoughts in relation to the different issues and themes explored.

The first entitled “Sweet Dreams” explores self-harm through a combination of abstract words and verbatim, as well as stylised movement. This is a powerful sequence and the young people involved display a high level of commitment to and empathy with the subject matter.

In “Head Above Water”, stress, anxiety and depression are explored. A clever design element is used here, with people rolling across the front of the stage under a large piece of material, simulating water and waves. This, combined with the movements delivered by the performers, makes for a visually exciting piece.

Chickenshed’s Vocal Voices perform during the evening. Musical Director Dave Carey (assisted by Cara McInanny) ensures the group’s performance is one of the main strengths of the show and adds to its overall intensity. An acapella arrangement of Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, sandwiched between two of the show’s early sections, is particularly stunning. An arrangement of This Boy by Tom Baxter towards the end of the show is also well delivered with lovely harmonies. It would have been beneficial for more of this type of singing to have been included to further showcase the talents of the performers.

The design (Sebastian Gonzalez) provides some interesting elements. The stage is framed by umbrellas, a nod to the show’s title. A large screen at the back of the stage displays visual features such as text and multimedia elements. Lighting design (Andrew Caddie) is good and complements the emotions and moods portrayed well.

There are many engaging elements of this show, be it lighting, vocals, choreography or the important subject matter. However, what predominantly shines through and is the most endearing is the sense of community that is clear to see. As with all Chickenshed shows, each and every person involved, regardless of ability, is 100% committed to what they are doing and clearly care for one another.

Chickenshed Theatre

Reviewed – 2nd July 2019

★★★★

“beautifully scripted words, sometimes modern, occasionally classic and often poetic”

In July 2016, the Chickenshed Youth Theatre company put on a show called ‘Feel The Love’. This proved to be so popular with audiences, that they have brought it back. With a fresh crop of students sharing new ideas and a world that has moved on, why not?

Their huge theatre was used to great effect. The audience sat in four small clusters, a small centre stage was flanked by many outer stages outside the seated areas and a surrounding gallery was used with terrific impact, as words and dance materialised from every conceivable angle.

Bravo Chickenshed, you guys were awesome.

Reviewed by Chris White

Photography by Caz Dyer

Feel the Love

Chickenshed Theatre until 12th July

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Chickenshed Theatre

Reviewed – 11th March 2019

★★★

“There are many engaging elements of this show”

Chickenshed Theatre prides itself on creating theatre in response to issues which are ever-present in our society. Following last spring’s critically acclaimed show, Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, they present 100% Chance of Rain, which focuses on mental health and wellbeing.

The first entitled “Sweet Dreams” explores self-harm through a combination of abstract words and verbatim, as well as stylised movement. This is a powerful sequence and the young people involved display a high level of commitment to and empathy with the subject matter.

Reviewed by Emily K Neal

Photography by Daniel Beacock

100% Chance of Rain

Chickenshed Theatre until 30th March

Previously reviewed at this venue: