*****
A wonderful Abigail’s party style dive into the lives of ordinary people- this time at a Mansfield wedding. Caroline Steinbeis directs with style, verve and pace.
The ceremony plays out in real time at Beth Steel’s Till The Stars Come Down, a Regional premier after running in the West End following an opening at the National Theatre . The two acts of 75 minutes and fifty minutes are bookended by two very different but compelling scenes.
The wedding itself is followed by a live screen roving camera and characters enter and exit via the auditorium making the paying audience part of the action.
The opening scene introduces us to most of the female characters as they glam themselves up for the big day. It is hilarious and laugh out loud funny with one liners ricocheting around the stage. A schoolgirl dreams of being an astronaut, her aunty subsequently struggles to differentiate between the sun and moon as worlds collide, the title echoing Auden who, in “Deaths’ Echo”, exhorts us to “dance till the stars come down from the rafters. ” However I doubt that Auden is on the reading lists of many in Mansfield.
AK Golding is our bride Sylvia getting ready for her big day. Obviously we have a dress drama with her two sisters Hazel and Maggie in close support and conflict. But star of the show is Aunty Carol ( Sadie Shimmin) a wonderful amalgamation of Mrs Slocombe (” Are you being served?”)and Vera Duckworth ( “Coronation St”.) Her big moment comes during an audience involving karaoke rendition of “Its Raining Men”
Sylvia’s husband Marek ( Ivan Ivashkin) to be is Polish providing the catalyst for exploring racism and xenophobia..Asked if there will be any Polish traditions in the wedding, Aunty Carol retorts : ‘Well, we’re not in Poland,’ then adds: ‘Not that you’d know.’ Ivshkin has his own karaoke moment when he sings a mash up of ” I Can’t take my eyes off of you”, another audience participation rabble rouser.
This is a world of warehouse jobs and delivery drivers replacing the pitmen of the past whose pits are given a roll call of honour during the wedding speeches as Uncle Pete offers a poignant accompaniment by singing a wine glass, and the pain of the miners strike still lingers. The women are superbly written and are the focus of attention, Leah Brotherhead’s impossibly short dress allows for nothing else. The drama revolves around the three sisters, the men are crushed, and only Marek offers any resilience and drive to better his lot.
The final scene of the second act is compelling theatre at its best with Emma Pallant as Hazel blistering. It is a fabulous ensemble cast, neither the setting nor jokes feel dated, instead you sense the seeds of how the Far Right is gathering strength in this country. An irresistible contemporary drama of the region, written by a playwright from the region.
Do you want to know what a sex pond is? Come on down until the 25th Sept to find out!
