Pictures of Procession by Tricia

Kevin talks about Marina Abramovich

The Beating Wing Ochestra by Euna

This a group that I found fascinating and their music is great. I had visited the Pavillion Theatre in Manchester one night after I had been sent by Manchester International Festival and People’s Voice Media. I captured their intriguing music on my flip video camera. I found it unfair not to share with you the joy I experienced when I met this amazing band.

Elbow Relay 2 by Julie and Tony

Elbow Relay Event 1 by Julie and Tony

Flailing Trees by Tricia and Richard

Review of End of the Road by Hazel Roy

I found myself asking the question why age should be the defining element in any theatre production as the opening sequences of End of the Road panned out – the performers entering stiffly, one by one, through a swing door set in a futuristic pyramid. The two nursing attendants glimpsed among them, reinforced the initial impression of an upmarket American retirement home on party night.

The Buena Vista Social Club have many performers of this age but the emphasis is on their consummate talent producing cool Latino Jazz, I recall seeing Dave Brubeck making an equally slow entrance when he played the Bridgewater Hall post 90 on his 40th Anniversary Tour and then wowing the audience as soon as he sat down at that piano, Ravi Shankar in his 80s performing immaculately on the same stage. One thinks of great playwrights like Arthur Miller writing into his 90s, performers like Mae West, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Marie Lloyd, more recently Joan Collins who is how old (?) our own Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Redgrave all ‘senior citizens’, the inimitable John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier all performing to the very end of their lives. We do not celebrate them for their age (though their life experience no doubt enhanced their performances) but for their consummate talent. Equally we do not think of Sammy Davis Jnr, Ray Charles or Sarah Bernhardt as ‘disabled’ performers.

So why this emphasis on age and is this enough to provide the rational and theme to sustain this large company? I guess the answer is that while the extraordinary actors and musicians I have mentioned have been professionals all their lives – they have just gone on working as they have got older- the members of Young at Heart have in most cases become entertainers only at that stage in their lives where nothing much was expected of them but a quiet sinking into oblivion and obscurity.

The spirit and courage that gets people in their 80s and older to not only take to the stage, in some case for the first time in their lives, but to hone their skills to become international performers is what brought the audience to their feet to applause over and over again, for how many of us want to go gently into that still night? We all want to know that we can defy age and fulfil our dreams and the company prove that this is possible.

There were some blimps and uncertainties but they were few. Although this is an ensemble piece there were some noticeably striking performances. Patricia Cady a retired police officer wowed everyone with her sardonic rendition of ‘Too drunk to drink’, sporting an enviable pair of legs housed in fishnets and a (well preserved) figure in a lurex two piece. Relative youngster 77 year old Patricia Booth, Steve Martin (81 and looking at least 20 years younger) and Glenda Phillips were all especially worthy of mention.

I kind of wish there had been some dialogue as I found myself wanting to know more about these peoples lives – I craved some repartee as one song swiftly followed on the heels of the other . However as an example of versatility their range was impressive. Oldies and goldies like ‘Memories were made of this’ and ‘When I grow to old to dream’ were blended together with songs from the Stones, the Beatles, the Buzzcocks, Nirvana, Bon Jovi, Neil Young and many others. The screen – the ‘fourth wall of the triangle scrolled up the repertoire to ecstatic applause at the end.
Indeed the audience provided the lift that the final number, Neil Young’s ‘Till the morning comes’ did not supply – I wished the mood at the end had not been so quiet and reflective. As the company formed a human triangle dressed in white ‘hoodies’ I noticed one performer seemed to have gently nodded off .The lady next to him looked mighty relieved when he woke up to sing – dying on the stage is not out of the question , I guess when you are in your 90’s. As a celebration of human life and the ‘I’m still here’ philosophy, ending on an upbeat with the audience joining in, might have made a better ending. But it was a triumph. Next time the Festival might consider inviting the UK equivalent, The Zimmers, Britain’s oldest rock band with a combined age of 3,000.

Review Prima Donna by Hazel Roy

‘What a tormented woman’ sings Andre the journalist (in French) referring to the Diva for whom he possesses an obsessive interest -‘it’s almost like being in an opera’.

Yes well…… Rufus Wainwright certainly plays around with the genre, creating a melodramatic diva who is part Maria Callas, part Judy Garland and part Edith Piaf-three women for whom Wainwright himself has always had a close interest. Part parodic, part kitsch the opera is set against a striking set which conveys both the gloomy grandeur and theatricality of the Prima Donnas solitary life while the vivid lime green suit of Philippe the butler – topped with a floor length white fur coat and pork pie hat is strongly reminiscent of the evil Joker in Batman and sets the scene for his manipulation of the star. His sidekick companion Francois, dressed as a bell hop and fetchingly played by Steve Kirkham reveals his background as principal performer for Mathew Bourne in his wonderful physicality which is both amusing and delightfully camp.

Both of the women principles shine in their roles – their wonderful synchronised ‘I’m calling the police’ response to Philippe’s revelation of his deep seated contempt for the failing star is a hilarious piece of vacuity, breaking through the overblown high drama of the preceding scene. The playback of the divas last successful performance provides a wonderful piece of audience participation as the principles appear at the end of their opera within an opera to be clapped by a hesitant audience unsure if they are doing the right thing!

The music was fairly forgettable, the characters overdrawn –none less than Wainwright himself who made a curtain call at the end replete with top hat and cane.
On behalf of the talented line up, I wish it well, but I am left with the sense of the MIF once again lavishing money on productions which, while intriguing, don’t quite hit the spot.

Review Flailing Trees by Hazel Roy

I thought it would grab my attention, shock me, make a statement. Instead it made me feel sad and disturbed. The ‘sculpture’ if you can grace 21 upended dead trees in concrete with that title, seemed utterly pointless, tasteless and somehow synonymous with our disdain for nature in its natural form, yes, I thought we really do live in the age of stupid. It’s smaller than you might think, the roots light brown in colour – it looks ephemeral and as if it might dissolve away – the concrete resembles a desert. A premonition of the world we are heading for if we don’t halt our massive over consumption of the worlds finite resources? Bleak thought or reality check?

Watch This Space!

Community Reporter JT sets the scene!

People’s Voice Media Community Reporters are taking to the streets to cover the Manchester International Festival.

Check back to read reviews of events, watch videos of vox pops and find out the stories behind the news!

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See you out there!

Community Reporters