We have been well and truly spoiled by the West Yorkshire Playhouse in this Autumn/Winter season, which opened with Northern Ballet’s ‘Dracula’ and the fabulous ‘Dial M for Murder’ and is set to close with Cinderella and The Secret Garden – both of which I’m now very excited about!
But in the middle we’ve also been treated to some great productions such as Alistair Beaton’s new translation of The Caucasian Chalk Circle – which was clever, moving, thought-provoking and funny (and believe me, I never thought I’d be laughing at Brecht!) – and a whole host of touring plays that have brought us some of the best talent from across the country.
These have included Hanif Kureishi’s ‘The Black Album’ and most recently ‘The Grapes of Wrath’, but in my – albeit very humble – opinion, the best of the touring productions is on right now, in the form of ‘Deep Cut’.
Now, I’m not going to lie to you here folks, if it’s belly laughs and splitting sides you’re after you’re not going to find them here, but it certainly got me thinking, so it might do the same for you.
For me, a common theme through ‘The Grapes of Wrath’, ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ and ‘Deep Cut’ was the strength of the human spirit, compassion and the ability to triumph over adversity. They say “that which does not kill you makes you stronger”, and all three plays tell of characters who display such incredible strength and love that it sometimes took my breath away.
In the case of ‘Deep Cut’, however, I must admit to the gasps turning to tears as it is true tale of very real, very strong people – Des & Doreen James, parents to Cheryl who was one of the four young soldiers who died from gunshot wounds at Deepcut Barracks between 1995 and 2002.
It’s a cleverly simple production and relies on the quality of writing and acting to keep you compelled through what is actually quite a detailed and complex story over many years. And, although you already may know the outcome, I found it engaging and heart-wrenching, particularly thanks to Pip Donaghy’s and Janice Cramer’s portrayal of distraught parents, who, quite rightly, continue to demand answers.
Well worth a visit – it’s on at the West Yorkshire Playhouse until 21 November – and while you’re there you may wish to try out the great new menus in the restaurant/café. Thanks to the refurbishment there’s a much more cosy, community feel to the place these days and it’s somewhere I enjoy hanging out – not least for the delicious food, much of which is locally-sourced – with my theatre buddies before and after productions, the latter usually to stalk the cast!
So here’s to the start of the festive season – I can’t quite decide which I’m looking forward to the most, the food or the productions. Thank goodness for the West Yorkshire Playhouse who will be treating us to some quality offerings in both departments!