ForeverTwentySeven – The Lowry Theatre, Salford

Writer: Mike Lee

Reviewer: Poppy Helm

The Public Reviews Rating:

ForeverTwentySeven is more a collection of backstage snapshots than a conventional story, centring on Maria, the lead actress in a play that was cancelled before it’s first performance when a member of the cast died in suspicious circumstances. From the very beginning, we realise certain parallels between the original production and it’s modern day reprisal, though no firm conclusion is reached.

To some extent, expectations are set from the outset; this is a promenade performance in which you walk round, following the action. Taking away the ability to hide in the darkness on a comfortable seat immediately creates a feeling of exposure which was heightened upon realising I made up one half of an audience of two. Never have I been so nervous while waiting for a show to start that I wasn’t actually perfoming in myself. The action starts in the Lowry coffee shop where the audience (a maximum of four people) are collected by an exuberant director and led on a ‘tour’ into the underbelly of the theatre.

As an audience member, it’s always necessary to suspend a certain amount of disbelief, but in this performance you actually have a role of your own to play, being addressed directly by the characters and becoming part of the story. This in itself creates a certain discomfort but, without spoiling any surprises, there are also a whole host of other devices employed to keep you on edge throughout.

Credit is due to all the actors for their bravery in attempting such a fast paced piece where timing is critical in order to achieve the desired effect, which they manage perfectly. ‘Patrick’, the director, is particularly skilled at keeping the momentum up. Each ‘scene’ brings something unexpected and is unique in it’s delivery, from the more familiar monologue through to use of video and sound.

The performance lasts for just thirty minutes but you feel every intense second of it. Though I’d have liked it to have been longer, ForeverTwentySeven does what every great production should; leaves you completely exhilarated and chattering about it all the way home.