Writer and Director: Chris Connel
Original Book: Lucy Nichol
Live Theatre’s Elevator Festival is a highlight in the north-east cultural calendar and showcases new work from up-and-coming artists. The Twenty-Seven Club rose to the occasion and proved there is no need to panic for husband-and-wife creative team Chris Connel and Lucy Nichol. This is an unvarnished play that is confident in its courage to address disquieting issues such as mental health anxieties, cancer diagnosis and family loss. Sensitivity and empathy result in a sincere and honest insight into what it feels like to experience panic attacks and how genuine love and friendship can help overcome such fears.
Connel, an established actor, challenges the cast as The Twenty-Seven Club marks his directing debut. The opening scene requires actor Rachel Teate to perform a full-blown panic attack. Meanwhile Steve Byron prepares to masturbate whilst watching a porn video. Byron of course is a seasoned performer and veteran creative. He plays Emma’s father, a widower, with effortless ease and his jovial delivery of lines along with his charismatic appeal is most certainly a reason to come and watch this play. Laughs abound regarding John Major’s Tory party of the 90’s and there is a particularly funny sketch about Question Time, Edwina Currie, John Prescott and eggs! But there is no egg on Byron’s face as he delivers an intrinsically flawless performance.
Teate plays his fretful, overwrought daughter. Her spunky characterisation of Emma belies a vulnerability. The role requires an actor of Teate’s calibre to pensively play such a frantic and frenzied character. Her debilitating panic attacks are heightened by singer, Kurt Cobain’s death at the age of 27. Not only will Emma turn 27 on her next birthday, but this also the age many other idols died too such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Teate’s precise delivery of introspective monologues are interspersed throughout to help the audience assimilate and understand Emma’s journey towards overcoming her anxieties.
Making his debut at the Live Theatre is otherwise experienced South Shields actor Andrew Dawson who plays Emma’s lifelong friend and confidante Dave. Dawson delivers a self-assured and very funny performance in which he is given the opportunity by director Connel to exhibit his versatility.
Care needs to be taken that multiple expletives do not detract from the diligent dialogue as such serious unadulterated subject matter is buoyed by a humorous and heartfelt script. The Twenty-Seven Club transports audiences on a nostalgic trip back to the 90’s in what is an entertaining, reflective and frank stage play.
Runs until 26th March 2022
