Paul T Davies reviews Manic Street Creature now playing at Roundabout at Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Manic Street Creature
Roundabout at Summerhall
Edinburgh Fringe
4 Stars
Gig theatre is big on the Fringe and there are some excellent examples around. Here is one, an unflinching look at manic depression that makes us look at the situation and not shy away from it. It's a classic girl moves to London and falls in love, but it's not until her boyfriend's diagnosis that his behaviour falls into place, and her father also suffers from the condition too, as we discover when her repeated calls to him are unanswered.
This may sound a little overwhelming, but, trust me, writer and composer Malmuna Memon has written a score that picks you up and rides you on the roller coaster of love and heartbreak. Joined by her band, Rachel Barnes and Yusuf Memon,, the riffs and melodies take us to an emotionally powerful resolution.
Lyrically the piece is everything, not a word is wasted, pinning us to our seats, and seeming to come from lived experience. The support available can be difficult to access, and I really appreciate that the production has information in place for anyone struggling. The talent on stage deserve huge houses, go see!
Aug 14-15, 17-22, 24-28
Paul is a playwright, director, actor, academic, (he has a PhD from the University of East Anglia), teacher and theatre reviewer! His plays include Living with Luke, (UK tour 2016), Play Something, (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Drayton Arms Theatre, London 2018), , (2019), and now The Miner’s Crow, which won the inaugural Artist’s Pick of the Fringe Award at the first ever Colchester Fringe Festival 2021. In lockdown 2020 he created the audio series Isolation Alan, available on Youtube, and performed online in the Voice Box Festival. He is the founder member of Stage Write, a Colchester based theatre company, and his acting roles include Rupert in How We Love by Annette Brook, first performed at the Vaults Festival 2020 and revived at the Arcola and at Theatre Peckham in 2021. Follow: @stagewrite_
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