The Demolition Man – The Bolton Ocatgon

Writer: Aelish Michael

Director: David Thacker

Reviewer: Rebecca Mickler

The Public Reviews Rating:

The term ‘World Premiere’ is bandied about a lot these days in local theatre and I have often wondered what affect some of these plays really could make on the world given the chance. The Bolton Octagon’s ‘The Demolition Man’ – a play about one of Bolton’s honourable sons – Steeplejack Fred Dibnah is one example that could truly intrigue international audiences.

Fred Dibnah became a national celebrity initially for his work as a Steeplejack but soon after for his charismatic personality, inventive manner, and iconic flat cap! Steeplejacking was a Victorian trade of repairing industrial chimneys but Dibnah became know for climbing the length of them alone to demolish them after they had become defunct.

The setting for the duration of the play is his workshop in the back-garden of his home in Bolton. Amongst old iron, metalwork, and fixings Dibnah is being followed by filmmakers documenting his life and knowledge of Victorian engineering. Award-winning Stage Designer James Cotterill has paid attention to detail crafting a believable environment where Dibnah is at home and Projection Designer Joe Stathers-Tracey along with Sound Designer Andy Smith temper the scenes well with interludes in the play through Brass band music and short black and white video projections of the cast dramatising aspect’s of Fred’s professional life.

Fred has a small devout following of friends as well as a filmmaker known as ‘Mr T.V’, and his third wife Sheila. Dibnah is a source of inspiration for all three types of companions offering projects the sort his ex-miner friends are used to working on whilst his third wife Sheila, played by Michelle Collins as a convincing Boltonian is a brash, bossy, but loving woman furthering his popularity by arranging his talks and appearances. They all join him in promoting and carrying out his radical schemes including his real-life attempt at building a working replica mineshaft in his back garden before planning permission from the council stopped its completion.

The imagination and history of Victorian engineering is becoming a popular interest as Dibnah showed in real life and as writer Aelish Michael seems to have picked up on. Where 1800s Railway engineer Brunel appears at points in the play as Dibnah’s muse is an encouraging idea of which I would have liked to have seen more of. Added to this, the trials and tribulations of Dibnah’s schemes could have been explored more whilst being pit against his human battle against cancer. Although a supporting cast and lead performance by Colin Connor was enjoyable to watch, the pace of ‘The Demolition Man’ was slow and the depth of Dibnah’s fascinating approach to life was not explored as deeply as it could have been.

Aelish Michael, does however have a talent for creating characters from real life that are addictive and endearing to watch and make you want to know more. I look forward to her next biographical production hoping that where she has started on a great character that Fred Dibnah seemed to be, she can flourish in her ability to create more fascinating characters from beyond the celebrity.