Last Orders – Re:play 2011 Festival : The Library Theatre at The Contact Theatre, Manchester

Writer: Sarah McDonald Hughes

Director: Martin Gibbons

Reviewer: Ruth Lovett

The Public Reviews Rating:

Last Orders certainly wins the prize for most authentic set. The audience congregate in the foyer at the Contact only to be lead to a secret pub location which provided the perfect backdrop for Robbie (Ted Holden) and Michelle’s (Sarah McDonald Hughes) story to unfold. Taking an unconventional seat with a drink in hand the play beings like so many nights out – that first drink in a tried and tested bar.

It’s Robbie’s last night of freedom; he is the stag on the poorly organised stag do by his best mate Ste (Martin Gibbons). Taking a trip down memory lane he is in a bar popular from his youth; talking about girls he used to know and nights out he had survived. Across the room are two ladies who have made the unfortunate decision to sit at the darts table. A chance encounter at the bar reveals that one of the ladies is Michelle – an old school friend of Robbie’s who he clearly had feelings for some 10 years ago. A brief discussion highlights that Robbie’s feelings were not all one sided but is it all too little too late?

Beautifully written to celebrate and emphasise the Northern voice using easily accessible and recognisable dialect; Last Orders effortless captures the excitement of a night out – that final push in to adulthood and the emotions that can be brought to the surface when seeing an old flame. Monkeywood have extended and improved their reputation for quality new drama and in this case; comedy and long may they continue to produce such skilled , polished and accomplished pieces. Anyone who missed this show the first time round at The Royal Exchange really should take the opportunity to catch this show again as part of the much loved Re:Play Festival in conjunction with The Library Theatre – you won’t be disappointed.

Cheers!