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Decidely odd - Make Believe at the 24:7 Theatre Festival

10:34am Wednesday 28th July 2010 in Theatre Reviews By Rick Bowen

Decidely odd - Make Believe at the 24:7 Theatre Festival Decidely odd - Make Believe at the 24:7 Theatre Festival

I’VE been reviewing live theatre for more than 20 years and I thought I’d seen it all.

How wrong I was.

I certainly hadn’t seen anything quite like Make Believe, which takes the word “bizarre” to a whole new level.

Written by Luke Walker and Sally Lawton, it tells the unsettling tale of a 29 year old woman who loves to escape into her fantasy world, a world she’s constructed with an almost military precision.

If you can remember the games you used to play indoors as a child on wet Saturday afternoons, you’re on the right track. The settee would become your ship, the living room carpet a shark infested sea and so on.

Personally, I think she’s done this to escape a family tragedy. The play is currently beIng staged at the 24:7 Theatre Festival and while there is a decent play struggling to get out here, large chunks of the dialogue are difficult to digest. You can’t fault Walker and Lawton for their originality but the whole experience feels like very hard work.

Which is a real shame because Walker and Lawton put their heart and soul into their performances. A psychologist could have a field day with Make Believe, but it wasn’t for me. Rick Bowen * Showing at New Century House in Manchester until July 31. Star rating - ** For ticket details, visit www.247theatrefestival.co.uk

Comments(1)

NathanHead says...
7:12pm Thu 29 Jul 10

I’ve just returned from seeing “Make Believe” and i don’t think i’ve ever laughed so much! It was so funny and brilliantly performed with perfect comic timing from both actors. The jokes and story was very clever and the whole story arc of the death of the twin brother was very cleverly hinted at right from the start. The cast worked so well together, they seemed to really bond and it helped the delivery of the quick-talking childish dialogue during certain scenes. This was all complemented by the superbly emotional scene explaining the cause of the brother’s demise, with the trip to the garden shed with a lit candle to find hidden birthday presents. This scene was so clever and touching also, i found it hard to stop myself from crying. Sally Lawton really gave a fabulous performance in both the comedic and the emotive. Luke Walker was entertaining and I particularly liked his ability to slip from hard-done-to, downtrodden imaginary friend to child-like, enthusiastic four-year-old.
So, you all probably got the impression that i was pleased to see this play! Haha, you are right. I will be looking forward to the next instalment from this team and if you get chance- I thoroughly recommend you try to see the last few showings at this year’s 24:7 festival in Manchester while you can!

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