★★★★

“Ryan, Rainford and Young create a wonderful, believable chemistry with each other”

Darkly funny and inventively staged, ‘Me & My Left Ball’, a new play by writer/actor Jack James Ryan, packs a real emotional punch. Its relatable characters and strong message, that we shouldn’t be afraid to be honest, open and vulnerable with each other, linger on in the mind long after the final bows.

Ryan’s script begins with a simple premise. Clueless Alfie (Ryan) lives with his mum, trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of getting drugged up and going clubbing with alpha-male mates Mike (Daniel Rainford) and Callum (Marco Young). That is, until he meets the whimsical, extraordinary Tess (Eilidh Loan) who gives his life a new direction. All this is turned on its head the moment Alfie learns he has testicular cancer. As his friends and new girlfriend learn to deal with the news in various different ways, it’s up to Alfie to decide how life can go on once it’s altered beyond his comprehension.

The strong ensemble deal with the highly emotional aspects of the show with aplomb. In a short space of time, Ryan, Rainford and Young create a wonderful, believable chemistry with each other, and the length and strength of their friendship is on show from the beginning. To pick a stand-out performance is tricky, but Rainford embodies the duality of being a hyper-masculine man and vulnerable, confused boy beautifully. Loan provides a much-needed breath of fresh feminine air to proceedings and plays the self-aware, flawed girl of Alfie’s dreams expertly.

Natasha Ravenscroft’s direction keeps the ensemble mobile and makes good use of minimal props. Just two white crates serve as bed, hilltop and everything in between. I’ve also never seen toilet roll utilised in such a hilariously inventive way before. After an initial verbal battle with ‘Alexa’, music ends up playing a key role in this piece. From jiving in the club to an emotional self-penned song at the end, music adds to both the weight of scenes and our understanding of the characters. Jodie Sully as movement director has created an excellent array of sequences that move from funny (the boys have a variety of club-based dance moves) to profound (the carrying of a reluctant Alfie into his wheelchair), and the cast prove to be strong and capable movers.

This is promising stuff from Ryan and his group. It’s a short script that could easily contain more, and the ending, with all its resolution, feels a bit too easily achieved. “I would have understood if you’d just told me” feels like the mantra of the play and is an important way of viewing how we communicate with the people we love. Ryan’s script is truly inspiring in that sense. Inventive, well-choreographed and wonderfully acted, ‘Me & My Left Ball’ comes highly recommended.

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Tom Grace Portraits

Drowned or Saved?

Tristan Bates Theatre

Reviewed – 8th November 2018

★★★★

“a moving and powerful theatrical experience”

Primo Levi, who died in 1987, was an Italian-Jewish Holocaust survivor and the author of a number of respected works including an account of the year he spent as a prisoner at Auschwitz concentration camp. Drowned or Saved? is a new play written and directed by Geoffrey Williams that not only pays homage to Levi’s message of humanity, compassion and perseverance but also forces the audience to never forget the systematic murder of six million Jews. Whilst it is difficult to conceptualise that number of people, it is easier to understand one person’s story and in essence, this is what the play focuses on.

The audience is greeted by Levi in his sparsely furnished study. There are some books and a Menorah, a symbol of Judaism since ancient times. He is restless and unable to sleep. He struggles to get closer to a character in a story he cannot complete, so he delves into his haunting memories of Auschwitz and recalls characters he met.

Marco Gambino is perfectly cast as Primo Levi. He commands the stage and wonderfully conveys the tormented soul Primo has become. Equally talented, Paula Cassina plays his loving wife Lucia and also their housekeeper Mrs Giordanino as well as Vanda, a close friend of Primo’s who died alongside him on the train to Auschwitz. Alex Marchi takes on six very different character roles and is able to successfully switch between them, often in the same scene. The final cast member is Eve Niker who has the difficult task of conveying, with no words, the disintegration of an inmate in those terrible conditions. Primo knows her only as Null Achtzehn (translated to 018) due to him recognising part of her camp serial number.

Designer Baśka Wesołowska has created a simple but effective set with wooden slatted walls which adapt with the play’s timeline, from a study to a train wagon and finally to the camp. Rachael Murray’s sound design flows well and the lighting (Matt Leventhall) helps create a smooth transition backwards and forwards in time.

Amongst the outstanding storytelling, there are some moments that don’t quite work. Those not able to understand German and Italian, as well as Jewish tradition, may at times feel slightly isolated from the content. Equally the ending, whilst incredibly emotional, left the story slightly unfinished and I felt more could have been told about Levi. However, the writing and direction from Geoffrey Williams is commendable. Whilst the piece will appeal to a wider audience, it is certainly unmissable for those with an interest in the Holocaust, history or indeed with a Jewish background.

Drowned or Saved? clearly it isn’t a light hearted piece. It is however a moving and powerful theatrical experience covering a horrific, yet important, part of modern history that should never be forgotten.

Tristan Bates Theatre

Reviewed – 8th January 2019

★★★★

“Ryan, Rainford and Young create a wonderful, believable chemistry with each other”

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Tom Grace Portraits

Me & My Left Ball

Tristan Bates Theatre until 10th January

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Tristan Bates Theatre

Reviewed – 8th November 2018

★★★★

“a moving and powerful theatrical experience”

Drowned or Saved? clearly it isn’t a light hearted piece. It is however a moving and powerful theatrical experience covering a horrific, yet important, part of modern history that should never be forgotten.

Reviewed by Steve Sparrow

Photography by Ewa Ferdynus

Drowned or Saved?

Tristan Bates Theatre until 24th November

Previously reviewed at this venue: