This March at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester, six short plays by local female playwrights are being performed as part of a piece called Vignettes. For Coronation Street fans, the draw is obvious – the fourth play, entitled Tangled, is written by Corrie scriptwriter Debbie Oates, and performed by Sally Ann Matthews, who plays the sarcastic and big-hearted landlady of the Rovers, Jenny Connor. But there’s plenty more on offer here from this superb selection of short acts, from the opening piece called Limerence performed by Maz Hedgehog, all the way through to the raucous and thought-provoking Halal Hens by Zoe Iqbal.
Kicking off the evening, Limerence is a powerful soliloquy from a woman coming to terms with a failed relationship, as she depicts in colourful detail all the highs and lows they experienced together. Following on from that, The Demon Dog of Waterhead is a bittersweet portrayal of grief and loss as a couple hold a wake for their deceased pooch – by all accounts, a neighbourhood terror. With warmth and humour, the couple discuss their fond memories of their pet, whilst also pondering their performance as parents to their absent daughter. The play ends on a hopeful note as they make a sweet discovery to end the piece. The final play of the first act – Perspective – sees Emily Heyworth give life and depth in spades to the character of Janice, as she battles with her internalised misogyny and the pressures she’s piled onto her shoulders in the pursuit of becoming the perfect wife, mother, and employee. One of the standout performances in an already incredibly talented cast, Heyworth handled comedy one liners, deep emotional turmoil, and vulnerability with a breath-taking efficiency as her character is stripped line by line of her delusions of the ‘perfect life’.
A note about the performance area of Hope Mill, which makes it a unique space for theatre goers and actors alike – set in a dark, cavernous hall, the audience seating for Vignettes consisted of a set of raised bleachers, while the stage area was on ground level and the actors for the entire act sat around the outside, watching the other pieces, and occasionally joining in as minor characters or to move a new set into place. This created an incredibly intimate and collaborative atmosphere which only enhanced some of the themes being teased out on the stage.
The second act kicked off with the biggest draw of the evening – a chance to see Sally Ann Matthews perform on stage, with an incredible script by Debbie Oates. This incredibly confident and accomplished performance saw Matthews inhabit a completely different character to the one we’re all so used to seeing on screen, as she tackled with charm and depth a woman’s journey of self-discovery as she, uh… hung from a parachute on a tower… Opening with a scream, ending with a joyous reunion, Oates’ one woman piece was beautifully written and full of witty observations and a heart-breaking story of the search for acceptance for LGBT youth across the decades. Utilising a soundtrack of pop songs and even political speeches, the narrative that unfolds is beautifully related as Matthews’ character – a somewhat sweetly naive and repressed woman – muses on the circumstances that led her to her unfortunate sky diving predicament. Among the belly laughs and skilful comedy came some powerful lines – it was everything you would expect from this award-winning duo and more. Credit also has to be given to Ellie Rose, who directed the piece.
The fifth act of the night, entitled The Reference, was written by Hannah Ellis Ryan, who Corrie fans will know as Hannah Gilmore, the fake Katie McDonald who tried to con Liz in 2018. She is also the founder of Her Productions, which produced Vignettes. There were strong performances from Amy Du Quesne, Emma Sommerville (incredibly commanding as a Devil Wears Prada type boss called Maeve), and Amy Chung – who captured a sweet, unassuming yet ambitious secretary who, unbeknownst to her, was set up at the end to become the latest victim of Maeve’s ‘mentorship’.
Finally, Vignettes ended with a bang thanks to Zoe Iqbal’s Halal Hens, as we follow a group of Muslim women on a hen night in Blackpool, as they face discrimination from outsiders, and from within their own community too, as a revelation is made about a family member. The comedic scenes here were fantastic, and the young cast brought a joyful energy to the piece, as they tackled everything from racist restaurant owners to homophobia.
It was absolutely worth the entry price for Sally Ann Matthews’ performance alone, but luckily there was a lot to love about the other pieces, with a fantastic mix of drama and comedy, as well as some hugely talented actors and a diversity of voices and experiences.
Vignettes runs until 26 March 2022 at Hope Mill Theatre. https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/events/vignettes-3
by Gemma Cox from Conversation Street Podcast / @ConversationStr on Twitter
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