THE STAGE EDIT: PYRAMUS & THISBE
One windy, wet and cold Friday afternoon in November I clocked out half-a-day early at work and made my merry way to Contact Theatre to see Proud & Loud Art's production of Pyramus & Thisbe. In all my years of living in Manchester, this was the first time I had ever stepped foot into Contact but I am sure it won't be my last because having had a little flip through their guide, they have a lot of interesting things on. Anyway, back to Pyramus & Thisbe...
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I had never heard of the tale of Pyramus & Thisbe or the Proud and Loud Arts theatre company before this production came to my attention but I am glad that that's changed now as I love expanding the forms of storytelling I am exposed to and I think I have done quite well this year. So, Pyramus & Thisbe? Basically, if you are a fan of Romeo & Juliet I think you will enjoy this story which funnily enough actually predates William Shakespeare's popular piece. It is a Roman myth that features in Ovid's Metamorphoses and folks have said that this particular myth could have inspired Shakespeare to write Romeo & Juliet. Pyramus & Thisbe is a love story that is filled with equal amounts of passion, drama and tragedy and was adapted by Proud & Loud Arts with a more contemporary spin on this story for all to see. And as for Proud & Loud Arts, it's a theatre company (and charity) that showcases productions with a cast made up of people living with some form of disability and their aim is to make the voices of people living with disabilities heard through live performances. After watching the show it sadly dawned on me that I have not encountered that many film, TV or theatre projects that have given me a window into the life of a disabled person in a way that highlights the character and not just their disability.
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Photos by Jody Hartley // Source: Courtesy of Proud & Loud Arts
One of the main things that amazes me about theatre is how much you can do with such a small space. However, when you throw in an added digital element that expands the universe of the stage such that it brings together key pieces of the story being told in different spaces, the degree of freedom is greatly increased. And that is what Proud & Loud Arts decided to do with their take on Pyramus & Thisbe. As with most theatre companies, touring is one way to allow people around the country (and world) to see your projects, however, as some of Proud & Loud Arts' cast members have disabilities that make travelling almost impossible they were forced to think of a way to allow everyone to be a part of the projects whilst on tour. And that is how the idea of 'projection' - live screening the performance of some cast members from a location other than the theatre where the show is to be held - came about.
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Photo by Jody Hartley //Source: Courtesy of Proud & Loud Arts
When the play began, I am not going to lie, I felt slightly... disarmed once it became truly apparent to me that the majority of the cast were in fact disabled in some way. Not because I thought they were not capable of acting but rather because it was not a sight I was used to which then made me feel a pang of guilt and a tad... ignorant.... or should I say oblivious to the fact that there is a whole host of different types of people that are under-represented in the shows and films and books and magazines and a ton of other things, not just women or people of different sexualities or people from different ethnic backgrounds. But it did not take long at all for me to lose myself, as I normally do, in the story being told. Coming of age stories will always catch my attention and this particular one had characters that won you over in a flash.
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Photo byJody Hartley //Source: Courtesy of Proud & Loud Arts
Pyramus & Thisbe, directed by Tom Hogan, was funny! And real. It felt so relatable that it actually felt I was back at home, in my joggers, hoodie and thick wooly socks with a cuppa in hand listening to either my friends nattering away or something on telly. I think that was due to the down-to-earth feel of the dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, the script was written by a team of people made up of some members of the cast, save for Cathy Crabb (The Bubbler). I also found the play to be a little bit surprising as I was not expecting its tone to take a sexual turn and be quite direct about it as opposed to dancing around the subject - although, I should quickly add that nothing was shown. The script did tie in the digital element of the play quite nicely and made it relevant and unobtrusive. You know how in films or TV shows they have begun to show the texts, IMs, DMs, tweets, emails etc as little pop up boxes on the screen for us all to read whilst still being able to see the actor or actress react to the content of the message? That is how it looked to me and, therefore, made it feel quite natural... or should I say normal?
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Photo by Jody Hartley //Source: Courtesy of Proud & loud Arts
The cast gave a really great performance; shining a spotlight on characters who came across as real, complex, everyday human beings. Though there were times when I could not quite make out some of the lines that were said, it did not detract from the overall experience. Sophia Thisbe, played by Amy Carson, is a determined and direct young girl who was destined to catch the attention of Ryan Pyramus, a committed and passionate guy who was played by Rhys Worthington. The overprotective Mr & Mrs Thisbe were portrayed by Nick Prince and Janet Charlesworth whilst the loud, funny and laid-back Mr & Mrs Pyramus were portrayed by John Lee Gregg and Kelly Hoye. The banter and evolution of the characters were a couple of my favourite things about this piece and I am glad I got the opportunity to attend the preview screening.
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As a whole I did rather enjoy this production of Pyramus & Thisbe and wish Proud & Loud Arts the best of luck with the next phase of this project of theirs which I hope results in them touring so that more people get the chance to see the work that they do. If you are in the mood to watch a play that has desire, dialogue sure to tickle you, drama and a looming cloud of tragedy and this version of Pyramus & Thisbe is shown at a theatre near you, then you may want to make a note of the dates in your diaries folks. Until then, I hope you are having a great week my friends!
Mo x