Curve, Leicester
8th June, 2023
“This is my life, and I’m resigned
to it”
James Dacre’s tenure at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate
comes to an end this season. During his decade as Artistic Director, he’s
developed the theatre as a major producing house, marked by a diverse,
innovative repertoire. He’s programmed stellar productions of European and regional
premieres (Our Lady of Kibeho, Rules for Living), revivals of
modern classics (Blue/Orange, Two Trains Running), and vibrantly
theatrical adaptations of novels (The Lovely Bones). His last show
before stepping down is a new stage adaptation of Michael Rosen’s 2018 novel Unexpected
Twist alongside The Children’s Theatre Partnership. Inspired by Oliver
Twist, Rosen transposes Dickens’ story to contemporary Britain complete
with beatboxing, iPhones and county line gangs.
Following her mother’s death and her father being laid-off
from work, young Shona (Drew Hylton) has moved from bedsit to bedsit, and
constantly worries about debts owed and the cost of everyday necessities. When
Shona arrives at her new school she is thrown into the world of Dickens’ Oliver
Twist by well-meaning English teacher, Miss Cavani (Rosie Hilal). While her
peers scoff at the old-fashioned language, Shona is shaken by the similarities
between her life and those of Dickens’ fictional workhouse. These similarities
extend to the people around her, with figures such as Shona’s Nan, her new
friend Tino and the local drug kingpin, Pops, paralleling the characters of
Fagin, the Artful Dodger and Bill Sikes. When, tempted by the promise of a
state-of-the-art phone she could never normally afford, Shona gets lured into Pops’
circle of drug trafficking and money laundering she faces difficult questions
relating to crime, socio-economic justice and identity.
Rory Beaton’s dramatic lighting lifts the grey school lockers
and wooden climbing frames of Frankie Bradshaw’s set using colourful LEDs and well-placed
spotlights. Bradshaw also excels at bringing to life the characters of Dickens’
novel, the rich Victorian-era costumes contrast nicely with the drab greyness
of modern-day London. I particularly enjoyed the moments in the play where the
two worlds merge together, most impressively realised in the Noah Claypole
interrogation scene. The image of the ghostly Noah looming eerily over
Shona/Oliver, goading them, is a menacingly dramatic moment.
While Rosen and Roy Williams draw analogies with broad strokes,
one can hardly criticise them for moralising in the current political climate. Unexpected
Twist is not subtle in the way it hammers home issues such as childhood poverty
and domestic violence, but this is justified by the bombast and energy with
which the piece is performed and directed by Dacre. Yaya Bey and Conrad Murray’s
music – a mix of Grime, RnB and Soul - is impressively performed by the cast (completely
acapella!) and features some really melodic tunes. A slight grapple is that the
songs sometimes dominate the action, and occasionally feel like excess padding,
but it’s testament to the talent involved and Rosen’s inspiration that the
songs excel in advancing character. Ultimately, this production is a
commendable attempt to get younger generations interested and invested in both
literature and politics.
Unexpected Twist plays at Curve, Leicester until 10th June. For
further information, please visit https://unexpectedtwistonstage.co.uk/#header
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Drew Hylton and the company of Unexpected Twist. Credit: Manuel Harlan |
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