Once Upon a Time in Wigan - LIVE! - The Octagon Theatre, Bolton - 07/06/08
Wigan Casino may have long gone... but the play dedicated to its Northern Soul memory refuses to hang up its dancing shoes just yet.
To round off Bolton Octagon's 40th anniversary season the theatre has re-commissioned the work, thrown in an on-stage band, added the word Live to the title... and claim it all as a world premiere - their fifth of the year.
It's stretching a point, but few who have enjoyed such a spirited season would begrudge the Octagon the 'spin'. Particularly since the venue has considerable success in staging musical plays.
A slick seven-piece band now perform the score or more songs that make up the production's playlist.
Paul Kissaun and Shirley Darroch, sharing lead vocals, are especially impressive.
On a split-level stage they belt out a soundtrack that still beats strongly for an audience happy to acknowledge old 'friends'. But the staging also emphasises the split personality of this play.
While you can't help but be captivated by the infectious rhythms, and the sheer energy and abandon of the dancing, the drama in between is never quite so light on its feet.
It's basically a rites of passage story, as four adolescents go through all the usual pangs of love and regret, climaxing once a week at a Casino all-nighter.
Love on the Soul, for a more recent Northern audience.
If these are working-class kids, as playwright Mick Martin would have us believe (and many Soulies would dispute such flimsy categorisation) then they have a lot of philosophical musing on their minds. And it's all delivered at an incessant angry volume.
Fortunately there's some raw humour, though this being Bolton, jokes at the expense of Wigan - or Burnley - go down particularly well!
Actor Richard Oldham has travelled with the play since its inception four years ago, though now switches to the role of Danny. It's a nimble-enough portrayal, especially when it comes to his footwork.
Rupert Hill, Coronation Street's Jamie Baldwin - acting very much within his comfort zone - takes on the more central character of Eugene. Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi and Laura Bonnah also struggle to bring much depth to seriously under-written roles.
It will take more than slippy shoes and baggy trousers - still sported by some among the audience - to make this a convincing and captivating hymn to the past.
Fans should 'keep the faith' by all means, but maybe now it's time to just savour the memories?
And let's be honest - weren't most of those revered records simply the ones that Motown had already rejected?
Once Upon A Time runs until June 28.
David Upton
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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