Coming of age plays very often travel through similar storylines and themes. Hedgehog takes a raw approach to this epiphany and journey through the narrative of Manda’s home life set in Barwell, Leicester takes a different path. Throw in some Spice girls, dodgy dress sense and rogue curling irons for a bittersweet trip down memory lane.
Manda’s monologue style play begins and ends in 1999 at the turn of the Millennium where myths on the digital age were rife and the future uncertain. Thrown into the mix is her encounter with a live/dead Hedgehog.
In a desperate attempt to fit in with her so called friends the desire to enjoy herself is paramount. Surrounding herself with fake friends and encountering a lot of disappointing life events, she takes on the journey to discover her inner self and find her own path in an uncertain world of hurt and inaccessibility.
Mum and Dad are just her parents or are they? Waking up to see your parents for who they are can be quite a shock and in Manda’s case, they are far from the happy couple she believed them to be.
Zöe Grains performance of Manda is energetic and passionate. Leading you to believe she is reliving the monolgue from memory.
The Them characters played by Lucy Annable and Emily Costello bring to life the outside world Manda encounters, from her fake friends to the conversations with her unfashionably dressed Mother.
Alexander Knott has caught the very essence of the trials and tribulations of being a coming of age teen. With the bitchiness of fake friends and the deep desire of Manda to enjoy being part of a scene she is obviously worlds apart from.
Four stars
Cast
Manda-Zöe Grain
Them-Emily Costello
Them-Lucy Annable
Creative
Director-Georgia Richardson
Writer-Alexander Knott.
Music-Sam Heron and James Demaine
Playing from 12th-22nd June 2019.
Produced by Boxless Theatre
http://www.boxlesstheatre.co.uk
@BoxLessTheatre
#edgeofthedancefloor
At Lion and Unicorn Pub Theatre
42-44 Gaisford Street
Kentish Town
London
NW5 2ED.
@LandUTheatre
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