13.1 (Newcastle)

The Great North Run evokes many different emotions from those that are taking part to those watching at home or standing by the roadside and 13.1 captures the story of two very different runners as they embark on that half marathon together.

Alice (Sonia Beinroth) and Diane (Vicky Elliott) are sisters; Alice loves to run, Diane hates to run, but they are drawn together to run in memory of their late mother.

The Live’s intimate Studio theatre is transformed into a mock up of a road as Alice and Diane jog through their story along the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields. The audience sit around the action as if spectators to the run, complete with garden chairs and abandoned water bottles making it an authentic experience as possible.

Despite the short ‘running’ time of 50 minutes or so, Mike Kenny’s play is energetic, engaging and very funny. Acknowledging and allowing the audience to participate in the performance works very well. Beinroth and Elliott have an immediate chemistry; allowing you to relate to both characters and believe they are sisters. The use of flashbacks to understand their relationship and why they are running gives you a better insight to what is driving Alice and Diane.

Both Beinroth and Elliott give excellent performances with Elliott getting the biggest laughs for being the character many of us can relate to.

13.1 is an excellent piece, guaranteed to have you laughing and cheering Alice and Diane on to that elusive finish line.