FOLLOWING three sell-out runs in Wirral, and a series of rave reviews, musical play Down Our Street finally arrived at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre over the weekend.
Directed by Brian McCann and starring local legend Mickey Finn, Down Our Street charts the history of the Cammell Laird shipbuilding company based in Birkenhead, from the very beginning in the 1800’s to the present day.
Told through the eyes of the local people, the production follows the highs and lows of the company which is still going strong to this day.
The Active Drama production starts with a speech from founder William Laird about how Birkenhead will change for the better with the setting up of his company.
The town, he claims, will become a utopia with green parks and plenty of jobs for everyone.
What follows is anything but, with redundancies, immigration and privatisation all having an effect on the fortunes of the company and the locals.
What is particularly appealing about this production is that much of what happens is still happening today.
The locals of the late 1880’s muttering that the “foreigners are coming over here and stealing our jobs” is still a phrase heard across the region today.
There are some genuinely touching moments, as well as a lot of humour, with cameo appearances from historical figures including William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Margaret Thatcher and even John Lennon.
A major problem with this production is that due to the time frame which is covered, there isn’t enough time to develop any of the characters. As a result, many are nothing more than over-the-top stereotypes, which makes it difficult to connect emotionally.
The musical numbers are undoubtedly the highlight of this production. Some of them, including the title number, are outstanding, and wouldn’t be out of place in a bigger production.
The singing is good, with only the occasional note going astray.
The choreography could be improved, as at times the placing of the characters in some of the numbers appears odd.
The 11-strong cast deals adequately with the material provided, and all play a number of different roles.
The younger members at times appear wooden and a lack of experience comes through, and even some of the more experienced members of the company seem to forget some of the lines to the musical numbers.
Standout performances come from Louise Thomas, whose Birkenhead housewife is something to behold, and Charlie Griffiths (who also produces the show). Mickey Finn is also pleasing to watch and plays a very convincing drunk who has lost everything.
A nice touch is that one of William Laird’s descendants is in the production. Ruth Laird, who is the co-founder’s great-great-great-great-granddaughter, gives a moving speech about her family’s pride in the legacy which has been created.
With a few re-writes, particularly in regard to the dialogue to include more character development, this could be an outstanding production.
5/10
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