Following their successful adaptation of David Williams’ book The Midnight Gang last year, Chickenshed present their 2018 summer production, an adaptation of a Walliams’ best-seller, Mr Stink. 12 year old Chloe is unhappy at home, overshadowed by her “multi-talented” younger sister Annabelle, and has no friends at school. No friends until, one day, an unlikely friendship blossoms when she approaches a local tramp and his dog.
The show’s larger-than-life set (Keith Dunne) is wonderful to look at, with Chloe’s family home consisting of two floors and looking like it has jumped straight out of the pages of Walliams’ book. The show is set during the Christmas period, signified through the use of understated, yet effective, fairy lights, framing the set.
The role of Chloe is shared between two young actresses but, on this occasion, Lucy-Mae Beacock took on the part. Lucy-Mae most definitely shines as Chloe, displaying high levels of energy as well as a lovely singing voice. Mother Crumb, Chloe’s posh mum, is entertainingly played by Belinda McGuirk who creates numerous laughs through the delivery of her character’s lines. Although these particular performers stand out, the entire cast should be commended for their efforts and the work that has clearly gone into all of their performances.
The show includes some fantastic chorus work, with the performers working well together as townspeople. They showcase some great choreography and vocals and provide enjoyable interludes between the main scenes. Original songs by Musical Director, Dave Carey, and Director, Lou Stein, meet the usual high standard of Chickenshed and are catchy, as well as complimenting the story well.
There’s no doubt that Chickenshed have triumphed with this show. An already heart-warming story is brought to life by a talented group of performers and creative team. It seems fitting that a theatre company that celebrates diversity and inclusiveness should create a stage adaptation of a story that does the same. Engaging, touching and fun, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Stink – well done, Chickenshed!
“there is a real sense of inclusiveness and each and every young person on the stage is fully invested in what they are performing”
Chickenshed presents their latest production, Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, a powerful piece of theatre combining music and movement to address the issue of man-made climate change. Fictional character Oscar Buhari, played by Ashley Driver, describes himself as an artist who “dedicates his life to witnessing human stories behind climate change” and throughout the production he narrates a series of short pieces depicting these stories. The result is ninety minutes of thought-provoking theatre, well executed by a diverse group of young performers.
Having seen a number of Chickenshed’s productions in the past, I’m used to their large cast sizes, but there is always the worry that this may cause the performance space to appear cluttered and overcrowded. In this particular production the cast is split across the series of short pieces, but even in the pieces made up of larger groups of performers, the stage is far from cluttered. The space is used very well in these instances, particularly during “Plastic Paradise”, a visually intriguing piece depicting the devastating effect plastic is having on our oceans.
Generally speaking, the choreography is very impressive. Each performer contributes to the piece they are involved in and there is some great ensemble work, particularly during “Pensive Hope”, an abstract montage representing the melting of polar ice caps. Another piece where the movement is particularly well executed portrays the destruction created in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The contemporary style choreography, combined with powerful music and projections of footage of the effects of the hurricane, makes for a hard-hitting piece and one that is definitely a personal highlight of the whole production.
A special mention must go to Dave Carey who has created some powerful original compositions that complement the stories very well. Over the course of the production, Chickenshed’s Vocal Voices perform a series of arranged pieces, such as “Hurt” by Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” and, of course, the title song “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” by Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac fame. These pieces incorporate what is described as “the usual Chickenshed twist” and are delivered by some talented vocalists.
There is no doubt that Lou Stein has conceived and directed something special, with the help of what is clearly a group of passionate, driven young people. This is a thought-provoking, moving and surprisingly uplifting production, covering a very important issue. However, what stands out the most, as with every other Chickenshed production I have seen, is that there is a real sense of inclusiveness and each and every young person on the stage is fully invested in what they are performing, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds and personal challenges. That alone is inspiring.
