Love Songs
South Shields Customs House - Monday 15 October 2018
Arts Centre Washington - Thursday 18 October 2018
Middlesbrough Theatre - Tuesday 23 October 2018
Seaton Delaval Arts Centre - Saturday 27 October 2018
Off the back of the success of Baby
Love, Jarrow-born Tom Kelly has penned another drama for real life
couple Helen and Jonathan Cash which is on tour around the North East.
Vicki (Helen Cash) has been in an abuse relationship with Leslie for
some time. Controlling and manipulative, her mother recommends that she leaves
him but will not put her up at her place as she has a new boyfriend. Vicki misses
her Dad, who died when she was young, which adds to her mental state. She
struggled to find a way out until she noticed an advert for a 60s tribute tour.
Gary (Jonathan Cash) is under his mother’s thumb. She expects him to
work, find the money to support her and pay for her house, as well as doing all
of the household chores. She chose never to work, even when her husband left
her. This is not a recent episode and he has struggled to make friends, even at
school. He can sing and hence he jumps at the chance to join the 60s tribute
tour. Like Vicki, he doesn’t pass on what he is up to or where he is heading.
He simply packs his case and gets the train to London with thought of his
mother’s voice screeching in his head.
 |
| Jonathan and Helen Cash with Tom Kelly (centre) |
The action in this 2-handed play is split between the dressing room and
the stage of the theatres on the tour which are in the present, and flashbacks
to their previous relationships. On stage the 2 actors have wonderful voices
that recreate the great hits by the likes of the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly,
Elvis and Dusty Springfield. The highlight of the evening for my, however, was Bridge Over Troubled Water which
combined the emotion of the original song with the impact of the drama’s
storyline.
Off stage they are playing two socially awkward, quiet individuals which
doesn’t always make for the most gripping action. However, in Tom Kelly’s tale –
the addition of the, at times violent, back story helps explain the current
state of affairs without over stating the point.
Love Songs looks at abusive
relationships and the need to speak out. It understand how an external vehicle,
such as music, can be an escape route from the trauma. As good as the songs,
and musical performances are, they don’t actually fit in with the exposition
other than being generic love songs. The action ‘on stage’, at times is at odds
with the action ‘behind the scenes’.
This is certainly a different piece of new writing. It covers a tough set of issues and yet it
contains some great love songs from the late 50s-1970.
Review by Stephen Oliver
On The Web:
Click here to
see a short video sampler of the play produced by Unified Media.
Website: https://babyloveproductions.co.uk
Tickets:
Arts
Centre Washington on Thursday 18 October, http://www.artscentrewashington.co.uk/production-details.aspx?id=1193
Middlesbrough Theatre on Tuesday 23 October https://www.middlesbroughtheatre.co.uk/shows/love-songs/
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