★★★★

“Tommy is a flawed character, but the play he finds himself in is a pretty faultless portrayal of him”

If you’re a playwright and your closest friend is an actor, what is the best birthday present you can think of? A few years ago, Nick Dawkins hit upon the idea of writing a play for his bestie – Tom Claxton – who at the time was studying at LAMDA. He filled the script with “the things we loved, the music, dancing, jokes and in jokes” and presented it to him on his birthday. A wonderful gesture. But little did he know that just a few years later it would be an even greater gift for the theatre going public. Dawkins’ sixty-minute one hander is a compellingly written monologue, spectacularly well-crafted and wrapped up in Claxton’s engrossing performance.

“A Manchester Anthem” is a mix of autobiography and biography with oodles of artistic licence thrown in, which makes it instantly relatable, even if you don’t share the background of its protagonist. Claxton plays Tommy (and a dozen other characters, but we’ll come to that), a working-class Mancunian who has been accepted into Oxford. He is the first in his family to go to university. The first in his street in fact. The play charts his final day and night before he heads down south to begin his new life.

It is Tommy’s final shift as a waiter and, just as he is about to clock off for the last time, a couple of posh and privileged school mates wander in for their skinny, soya, lattes. They are a world apart from Tommy and, in his eyes, represent the world he is about to enter. It fills him with feelings of trepidation and imposter syndrome but nevertheless he accepts an invitation to a house party that night (spurred on by encouraging words from his real mates). What follows is a high energy tsunami ride from the coffee shop to the clubs, and through the streets, houses and people at each end of the class spectrum. From the moment we first see Claxton, elastically writhing to N-Joi’s ‘Anthen’ wearing bright orange underpants, we suspect we are in for something different. On the surface, this rite of passage story has more than a shade of familiarity. There are moments when it treads that path, but the observant writing is fresh enough to veer away from its own genre.

Claxton immediately has us in the palm of his hand – and he keeps us there. A finely nuanced performance, he slips easily into the other characters with subtle precision and expert timing. His supercilious boss at the café, the posh boys, the pseudo-socialist girls, his down-to-earth-bordering-on-psychotic mates, his estranged father… and so on. The various locations are seamlessly evoked, too, courtesy of Anna Niamh Gorman’s ingeniously simple cardboard box set that symbolises the packing away of an old life, but later transforms and lights up to evoke Manchester’s clubland. Sam Baxter’s soundtrack and Caelan Oram’s lighting set each time and place in stone, while Izzy Edwards’ masterful and lively direction leaves no time for anything to be set anywhere. It is a fast-paced production, but every moment counts – and some of the best lines hang in the air, frozen for a moment for us to relish, before being swept back into the thrilling momentum of the play.

Without being a social commentary, the show mirrors aspects of society and class divide. Tommy has more chips on his shoulder than the local chippie, but there is no anger. In its place is intelligent analysis, and a fearful empathy. The various characters are soft targets. The real victim of Dawkins’ writing is society at large and the unfairness of its inbuilt hierarchies. Tommy’s greatest fear is that of betraying his origins. The fact that these issues can be dressed up in humour is testament to Claxton’s fine acting and interpretation of the text.

The final moments are quite moving. It doesn’t end with a bang. Nor a whimper. But something in between which touches us with emotional honesty. Tommy is a flawed character, but the play he finds himself in is a pretty faultless portrayal of him. Tommy might fear rejection, but “A Manchester Anthem” has no need to share that feeling. A real gift of a show.

THE GATHERED LEAVES

Park Theatre

★★★★

“a finely flowing production that is consistently identifiable”

The centre piece of Andrew Keatley’s “The Gathered Leaves” is a beautiful birthday cake, lovingly created by the autistic Samuel for his father’s seventy-fifth birthday. A replica of the country manor in which the family have reunited for the celebration (the first time they have all been together for seventeen years), the detailed intricacy of the sugar-coated façade hides all manner of ingredients. Cut open the surface and the flavours are bitter and sweet, and we never know which mouthful we are going to swallow next. The Pennington family is a similar blend of mismatched elements that make up a dysfunctional whole. It’s a tried and tested dramatic formula but Adrian Noble’s revival is a compelling slice of theatre.

It is 1997 and change is afoot in Britain. The extended family appear to be sheltered in their comfortable privilege, but they are not immune to upheaval. The autocratic patriarch (Jonathan Hyde) is desperately trying to cling onto his authority and tradition while battling with a diagnosis of vascular dementia. Times have changed and the nine assembled members of the family are representations of these changes across three generations. Of course, sparks are going to fly, and drama is guaranteed. Keatley’s writing also injects warmth, humour and a precarious harmony that astonishingly never clashes with the suspense. Skeletons fall out of the closet, rattling with regrets, while resentments surface that are cleverly sculpted into some sort of shape of understanding, if not quite reconciliation.

The cast, across the board, brilliantly bring their characters to life. Hyde expertly combines rigidity with vulnerability, constantly surprising us with revelations that show a very human side to an outwardly unsympathetic individual. Joanne Pearce nails the ‘long-suffering wife’ syndrome while refusing to be sidelined or relegated in dominance. The younger generations are equally convincing. Richard Stirling has the almost impossible task of portraying the autistic son Samuel, but he grasps the complexities with acute judgement. Innocent yet volatile, with authentic mannerisms to match, his childish persona puts the other adults to shame by being the only really truthful member of the family. Except for maybe his brother Giles (a superb Chris Larkin) who tries to hold everything together; on the constant lookout for Samuel while trying to appease not just his father, but a dissatisfied wife (Zoë Waites) and his defiant children. George Lorimer and Ella Dale, as Simon and Emily, depict the younger generation with socially conscious humour, throwing in delicious dollops of subterfuge and modern sensibilities into the mix.

Many issues are dwelt upon (perhaps too many). The arrival of estranged daughter Alice (played with cool conviction by Olivia Vinall) reveals the extent of the chasm that exists within this family. She is accompanied by her dual heritage teenage daughter, Aurelia. Taneetrah Porter gives a standout performance as the young Aurelia. Bemused yet diplomatic she is the true peacekeeper, refusing to reject the failings of the family that she is witnessing for the first time.

A few scenes are unnecessary, particularly a couple of drawn-out duologues that act merely as a kind of postmortem to what has just happened. Otherwise, this is a finely flowing production that is consistently identifiable. The topics (particularly autism, racism, conservatism, liberalism… there are many ‘isms’ in this play) never become issues. Rather they are part of the fabric. Each act opens with a flashback to the young Giles and Samuel (Ellis Elijah and Joe Burrell respectively) which gives some background, backstory and build up.

“The Gathered Leaves” is ultimately moving, as well as being thoroughly entertaining. Shades of Ayckbourn mingle with hints of Pinter at times, but Keatley’s drama remains resolutely unique. There is a fair bit to laugh about, but it still remains serious while also gently pulling our heartstrings. A finely balanced evening.

A MANCHESTER ANTHEM

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“Tommy is a flawed character, but the play he finds himself in is a pretty faultless portrayal of him”

A MANCHESTER ANTHEM

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 20th August 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Flood Ltd

Recent reviews from this venue:

A MANCHESTER ANTHEM

A MANCHESTER ANTHEM

A MANCHESTER ANTHEM

THE GATHERED LEAVES

Park Theatre

★★★★

“a finely flowing production that is consistently identifiable”