Writer: Jayne Marshall

Director: Sue McGeorge

Reviewer: Cathy Crabb

The Public Reviews Rating:

Bertie (David Milne) and Alfred (Eryl Lloyd Parry ) are stuck in a ‘care’ home and stuck in their past. Donald (Bob Young) and Charles (Arthur Bostrom) make it their business to interfere with the psyche of the other two and engage them in inadequate brews and devastating board game battles in an attempt to win them on side.

Whilst Donald gets the upper hand in this situation, Charles weakens and vice versa plays out in this tug of war for the avid attention of Bertie and Alfred. The latter paring seem more like regular tenants in this place, whose own stories- though not as biblical- are as valid for consideration of life in its entirety. Bemused and frustrated by this continuous encounter, they struggle with fading memories and validation.

Jayne Marshall has written a great script to ponder on the autumn of life, and the actors execute her themes well. Though there were a few technical hitches and stumbles in dialogue, the play as a whole is intriguing and entertaining.

Director Sue McGeorge has included some interesting and humorous signifiers of limbo both in props and staging and has tied together well on stage the conundrums the characters face in this metaphysical setting and story.

A clear message from the play is that life is a game with no real winner and the rules are not always dictated by those who know best.

Runs until Saturday 29th September 2012

 

Onions Cry Too - The Lowry, Salford, 3.0 out of 5 based on 2 ratings

Tags: Arthur Bostrom, Bob Young, Comedy, David Milne, Eryl Lloyd Parry, Jayne Marshall, Lowry Studio, New Attitude Theatre Company, Onions Cry Too, Salford, Sue McGeorge, The Lowry