Review of Once Upon a Time in Wigan by Mick Martin directed by Mark Rosenthall
What a wonderful evening we spent watching this play at Saddleworth Players, located in the lovely Millgate Arts Centre. We were welcomed by friendly front of house staff and directed into the beautiful auditorium which is a complete sell out for the entire production. The pre play announcement was amusing and entirely in keeping with the era of the play so the audience were immersed in the era from the beginning of the theatrical experience.
The play begins with an open stage consisting of a rise upstage with tabs depicting the stage in Wigan Casino, the back wall of which depicted a Northern Soul logo and an entrance SR
The walls were decorated around the top, in a “swag design” replicating, exactly, the walls of Wigan Casino. To the audience members, who remember those days, the production must have conjured memories of many hours spent at “all-nighters” and Eugene’s description of the “sweat” in the casino was memorable. There was a huge record painted on to floor of the stage, so shiny one felt it could be picked up! It was explained that all the artwork had been painstakingly painted by clever stage artists who belong to the theatre company. Huge congratulations to them.
The walls became many scenes during the course of the play, achieved by clever use of projections. These scenes included the interior and exterior of the Casino itself, which also included a peep into the most disgusting toilets ever seen!!! There was a very clever set of scenes where two of the cast, Eugene and Maxine, were filmed having fun on days out riding around on Eugene’s precious scooter. SFX were spot on, particularly in the launderette scene.
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The stage became many areas during the course of the play and the items were moved by the cast themselves. This was extremely disciplined and well rehearsed. Parts of the stage lifted up at the front to reveal, at one point, a rail of clothes, big boxes, which contained props, became a shop counter and the projection on the wall showed we were in “Chelsea Girl” clothes shop! The boxes also became tables in a coffee shop; the furniture in a home. The set itself became a character in its own right and was extremely well designed.
Of course the music was the most important part of the story and the audience were treated to a range of tunes which fitted the scenes to perfection.
The costume plot, on the whole was good. Suzanne’s outfits were particularly on point and her hairstyle was just right
Four actors, all presented confident vocal and physical performances and affected the scene changes beautifully. Their sharply drawn characters along with all their insecurities were skilfully drawn out under sensitive direction from Mark Rosenthal.
There were times when the dialogue was a little rushed and unclear particularly between Harry and Eugene, it did not spoil the performance but is perhaps something to think about in future. The cast were great dancers and we were left amazed that they could still speak after all the moves they performed. The “slipper” shoes were a great idea; no noise andthey looked as if they were floating around the dance floor.
Many congratulations to the Director whose job cannot have been easy. It is a play which, in the first half, has much to say, but in the second half, goes round in a circle. That’s because the story of the era does exactly that. The four, unrelated characters of Maxine, Suzanne, Danny and Eugene lived for the weekends. The casino allowed them to forget the humdrum of weekdays and, in some cases, the awfulness, hopelessness and confusion of weekdays.
They are all looking for something else even if they are not always sure of what that something else is. Their passion for Northern Soul carried them along through life, it allowed them to be themselves and their despair when the Casino finally closed down in 1981 was huge; suddenly “life” was upon them and they had to make decisions; no more sweat, sticky floors, grotty toilets, dancing ’til you dropped, record swapping, drugs, the cold light of day at 8am Sunday morning and crawling into bed and losing all day Sunday; it was the end of an era. All this was depicted by the actors, and the director brought every bit of that to the audience’s senses. There are 2 long duologues in the 2nd act which the director and actors handled very well indeed considering there was very little in the way of furniture to sit on, so they had to stand more or less the whole time and make it look as natural as possible.
These 2 conversations could have felt over long but in their hands this was not the case and our interest was retained. The play is peppered with some laugh out loud one-liners and Danny teaching Eugene to dance is very funny.
Congratulations on a wonderfully produced, performed and directed play which showed a snapshot of one of the most memorable times in the music history of our part of North West England. If Northern Soul was a part of your youth then this is a play for you, even if your name is Yvonne (will leave you to discover that one) but you will revel in the music.
The play runs 7th – 14th February at The Millgate Arts Centre, but sold out weeks before opening. returns may be available .