Review – Innit: Urban Musical
Date Reviewed: 28th January, 2009
Venue: The Lowry
If enthusiasm was enough to guarantee a great night of theatre, then this would be a very good one indeed. However, the sheer enjoyment of the cast is not enough to save this play. Over-long, preachy, and plagued by mis-timed musical and lighting cues, Innit is, sadly, a disappointment.
This musical epic tells the story of ‘everyday’ life in Salford. Ashley has a job and a girlfriend, Stacey, but wants the money and lifestyle of the ‘scallies’ who hang around on the estate. In addition he has problems with his mum and his dad. And there’s Stacey’s dead brother and his wife. And the music-shop owner. And the prison guards too!
This is the problem. There are just too many characters and too much going on. The attempt to make us care about all of the different sub-plots, and understand their messages, results in a three-hour marathon to explore what could have been a fairly simple story.
The cast is a mixture of professional, semi-professional and amateur actors and the difference is sometimes painfully obvious. Amy Hannam, who plays Stacey, and Sean Croke, who plays Ashley’s cell-mate Smithy, both have fantastic singing voices which make their sections stand out. However, in contrast they show up the limitations of some of the others. That said, the ‘Scallies’ form a male chorus which is always entertaining and helps move the action along.
The use of stage dressing and props is excellent, however, with the perspective painting of a Salford tower-block working brilliantly as a back-drop, and the director, Mickey Dacks, manages to coax the maximum usage out of the small stage in the Quays Theatre.
There are good things about this play. The production looks good, some of the songs are pathologically catchy – veering at times from Oliver to Grease – and some of the acting is genuinely affecting. In addition, the cast are obviously enjoying themselves and doing their very best.
But in the end it is just too long, too meandering and repetitive, and it comes across as overly keen to make sure the audience understands the moral(s) of the story. All this, along with severe technical issues which often left actors standing, staring at the audience in silence and/or darkness, waiting for the music to start, made this a night of endurance rather than enjoyment.
-Calum Kerr
January 29th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I couldn’t agree less with the review written by Calum Kerr. Having attended a matinee performance on Wednesday it was clear that any teething troubles experienced on the opening night had been sorted. The group of young people I accompanied enjoyed the performance thoroughly and several were arranging to go again with parents! Whilst not experienced theatre goers these ‘street kids’ were entranced and fascinated by the show. It was impossible not to be drawn in to the plot and sub-plots, almost recognising the characters from Salford life. This is not a production for the faint hearted with lots of swearing, fighting, images of the gutter and prison, but it was poinantly accurate in both the sentiments and imagery of the street life experienced by so many of our young people. Quote from Lewis aged 15 “I have never seen anything like it, when can we go again?”
January 31st, 2009 at 1:46 pm
What tosh this reveiw is. I attended on 29th with agroup of friends from all walks of life and all ages and experiences, some from the courts in all capacities, some with police connections, and people from varied backgrounds in education, the arts and business. The unanimous opinion was of a stunning show, well produced and acted, and full of messages that need to be heard by all secondary schols and most of the public. It had drive, verve and was unique adn thrilled a large and mixed audience.
It is a show that needs a little editing, made some what shorter, but I have seen far worse shows in the West End and many poorer performances. Dacks has talent as both an author and producer, our group went home singing the songs, so there is musicality there.
I wish Dacks and the show the very best of luck and as much help as he needs to succeed in his career.