5:30, RE:PLAY 2010 – Library Theatre, Manchester

Writer: Alistair McDowall

Director: Clive Judd

Reviewer: Val Peets

The Public Reviews Rating:

Written by Alistair McDowall, Presented by Cheap Seats and Directed by Clive Judd at The Library Theatre, 5.30, was both funny, uncomfortable and compelling in equal measure. Staged as part of the Re:Play Festival 2010 and described as, “A compelling and at times terrifying piece charting the unlikely friendship between two train passengers.”

It kept the audience captivated, if at times troubled. The excellent dialogue and superb acting dealt with “issues,” “isms” and “stereotypes” which, with the aid of an Aldi bag cans of lager, and a clever use of language, all enabled McDowall to develop a real sense, of simple truth.

In the beginning, the uncomfortable accuracy of the dialogue sharply exposed the collective fear of the audience to that of being the one singled out by the “nutter” on the train. However, as it moved on, and the layers were stripped away the mood and pace altered as the writer adeptly took them through varying emotions ranging from irritation, embarrassment and apprehension, to those of fear and wanting to escape, suspending then for a time, until finally only at the end, allowing some sense of release and relief as the stories unfolded and eventually concluded, but not before delivering a hefty dose of realism.

This dialogue in its authenticity leaves the audience exposed to another aspect of humanity. Shaken from their comfort zone, and with unpretentious realism, it reminds us all that everyone out there has a tale to tell.

Revealing the lives of two troubled men, the actors, Peter Ash and Adam Caslin are both superb in their extremely effective portrayal of one of the more disturbing aspects of the society in which we live. It forces us to acknowledge that even the dysfunctional, the disadvantaged and the disengaged, no matter how we perceive them, shun them, or try to avoid them as we hurriedly pass by, all have their story to tell.