The Call of Nature, The Kings Arms, Salford, 18th-24th May
The Vaults at Salford’s best boozer have already proved themselves to be an optimum place to stage a play. Last year’s The Dumb Waiter from Ransack Theatre was not only a brilliant piece of theatre – it was amplified and improved by the gritty and slightly dank surrounding of these cellars, their crumbling walls, their cramped corners, their ability to bring an edge of realism to any work of fiction.
So it was no surprise to see Mediamedea and Studio Salford making the most of their surroundings in the latest play to take place in this underground venue. From the second we were led down the stairs we were greeted by a pumping soundtrack as three young actors danced and drank in a tiny storeroom that they’d somehow managed to make seem like a club. It was a clever way to start. With the audience so close to the action, close enough that our toes were almost stamped on as the three new friends enjoyed a bit of a boogie, we were immediately pulled into their world. We sensed the nuances of this burgeoning trio. The awkwardness of one of the guys and the obliviousness of the other; the confidence, and even the scheming nature, of the girl.
That sense of intimacy and involvement was to remain throughout. As soon as we were led through to the main room and plonked down on the stools that surrounded the makeshift stage, the three new friends burst into a room through a side door. They headed straight for the bed. Awkwardness joined hands with intrigue as an audience in such close quarters became unsure exactly where to look. But Gabs (Laura Danielle Sharp) had other plans. She may have brought these two young men back to her room with the promise of sex, but there were more important things on her mind.
A story that at first seemed focused on sex, drink, and drugs added layers of mystery almost every minute. Why were they in a dilapidated room opposite an abattoir? Where was the brother Gabs kept talking about? Why wasn’t he there to celebrate his birthday? What was Abe (Nathan Morris), the awkward one of the threesome, hiding in the huge rucksack he lugged around with him? And why had Adam (Darren Longford) been drinking alone in a gay bar while his female fiancée slept at home?
Some of these questions were easier to answer than others, and the subtlety wasn’t always quite as well maintained as it could have been. But in the main part, The Call of Nature did a great job of surprising the audience and moving things onto another level. Yes, we guessed quite early where Gabs’s brother was, but it was a shocking revelation when we realised what that meant to the trio we saw before us. And anyone who’d read the blurb would have guessed that Abe’s giant bag was hiding some evidence of his role in the priesthood – but we were unlikely to know that this would lead to an original and adroit consideration of what God and the church mean to us today. We certainly wouldn’t have seen the ending of the play coming, when the question of religion led to a very bizarre final few minutes. Whether this ending worked is a matter of opinion, but it was certainly unique.
There was the odd moment of that throughout, too. A monologue or a conversation, a strange interjection of the supernatural, an idea begun but not fully explored. Things that didn’t fully work. But when the play focused on these three hugely varied characters and their issues and insecurities, it was powerful, well-paced, and a piece of theatre that dealt with many issues those in their twenties face in today’s society.
Despite the heavier elements of the plot, much of the first half felt light-hearted. There was a great camaraderie between these three new friends and even the more emotional sections were usually bookended by some comedy of a pretty dark variety. It was in the early part of the second half, though, when the play hit its real peak. As soon as Gabs reason for bringing the threesome together became known, the performance took on a new intensity, a level of emotion that wasn’t previously suggested. Darren Longford has to take a lot of credit for that. Perhaps the strongest performer throughout, these early second half moments, in which he makes a difficult and disturbing confession, showed him to be actor with a bright future. It was the play’s most gripping section – and much of that was down to the way Longford reeled us in and kept us tense on the line.
The acting was of a pretty high calibre throughout, though. There was the odd line from Gabs that made the acting seem a little awkward, but perhaps that was more down to the strangeness of the character than any fault from Sharp. Abe was also given a few of the play’s more dramatic and less believable lines, so you felt for Morris when he strained to make them convincing. On the other hand, though, he was brilliant when displaying the awkwardness and naivety of his character. All three excelled when acing out the symptoms of a drug and alcohol fuelled night.
So it was only really the ending that raised a few questions. Was it really needed? Did it add or take away from the message? Was it explored far enough to actually merit its place in the play? This was a debate that carried on as we made our way back to the bar and there were people who fell on both sides of the fence, but it certainly had us talking. Maybe the best way to decide is to go along and see for yourself. You’re unlikely to regret it.
Fran Slater