Guest Reviewer Sue Andrews reviews Living With Luke presented as part of the Colchester Fringe Festival.
Living with Luke
Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester Fringe Festival
5 Stars
Colchester Fringe Festival
Staged in a life size wrestling ring, with the audience seated around it, Living with Luke is adapted from the blogs by Steve Hannan, and records his struggles to communicate with his autistic son, Luke. Steve plays himself, but here as his wrestling alter ego Danson Thunderbolt, really wrestling the Autistic Shadow, (Professional wrestler Phil Powers)
From the very beginning, the audience is encouraged to participate, clap, cheer and boo for characters portrayed wrestling, what an interesting concept. The play explains the feelings, and emotional turmoil in bringing up an autistic child, by his father. ( I am a mother of an autistic adult who is 11 years older than Luke the son in the play.)I could relate to this brilliant play, very much. I would recommend everybody watch this play it was brilliant and brought me to tears.
5 star actors, with Ben Maythem utterly convincing as Luke, and Shane Whitworth a sympathetic ref and other characters in a 5 star show.
