Book and Lyrics: Alan Dix, with Mike Kenny
Music: Richard Taylor
Director: Alan Dix
Attending 509 Arts’ production of Life Class was an uplifting experience. In part this was because of the venue, a newly created factory conversion for Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations (one hopes it will continue long afterwards) with an art gallery as well as a comfortable small theatre. Mainly, though, it was the theme, the performance and the staging.
The theme was a realistic celebration of old age. At the very beginning Tyrone Huggins strips off his dressing gown and strikes a series of poses in his Y-fronts – an ageing body, but an impressive one and one that has seen so much more than the smoothly youthful version. The power of memory is always present, but so is the weariness of a long life lived.
The production uses a 30-strong amateur chorus (“all over 60”) to punctuate the action: for the most part Richard Taylor’s songs are not especially melodic, but their use in little sharp fragments and repeated phrases in between dialogue is most effective – and performed with great precision under the direction of Em Whitfield Brooks. Accompaniment is by keyboardist Mark Goggins; with harp and cello this works really well. At the other side of the stage a screen projects the drawing or painting of images reflecting the action that grow and develop as we watch.
The three actors mostly tell two stories that alternate, overlap and finally come together. Huggins as Billy and Alwyne Taylor as Alex memorialise their ageing lives. She finds beauty in the older man and draws him constantly; he writes his thoughts and will not share them. He attempts to throw away things that represent memories, but there is always something special that you must keep. Eventually a “picture of the inside of his head” reveals bad news and Taylor is left with a powerfully moving song.
Meanwhile Tricia Kelly (as Cora) has been telling the story of an old woman, living on her own by the M606, who goes to the wood to collect wood for her stove. In a mixture of fairy-story and reality she asks for Death as a release from her suffering, but, when he appears, dismisses him and carries on. The scene with Kelly and Huggins (as Death) is very funny and occurs after Huggins has departed the scene as Billy. This and a final optimistic chorus set the final life-affirming seal on the whole show.
Life Class is perfectly integrated, with Alan Dix’s script matter of fact and making its impact through telling repetitions and Taylor’s music and Paul Slater’s projections ever-present reinforcements of the theme of recognition of the quality of old age.
Runs until 12th October 2025
