Philip Duguid McQuillan, Natalie Davies and Kamal Kaan. Photo by Maria Spadafora.
Bradford’s Freedom Studios are performing a post-apocalyptic tale in the city this week. Richard Horsman (@leedsjourno) was at the world premiere of North Country for us – sitting on a straw bale, wrapped in a blanket, in the basement of an empty shop…
Following on from previous shows set in the ladies’ loo at Bradford Interchange and in the steamy warmth of a chip shop it should come as no surprise that Freedom Studios’ new production takes place somewhere unusual. The first challenge is to find it.
The Wild Woods of Bradford is a temporary venue set up in the old M&S store on Darley Street, but with the entrance for this performance tucked away round the back in Piccadilly. I wasn’t the only lost punter seeking directions on opening night.
The transformation of Bradford city centre with the opening of the glitzy Broadway complex has left this part of town feeling pretty desolate; the dark, windswept, empty streets setting the mood for North Country, a tale of survival, clans and remembered culture set in the near future. The very near future. Next week, in fact.
The action starts on November 5th, 2016. But only after the audience have settled themselves in a performance space flanked with a random assortment of chairs, mattresses, duvets and straw bales. We have to be encouraged to occupy the set. There are blankets scattered around. “Wrap yourselves up” says one bloke, who seems to have authority in this world. “You’ll be cold later”.
November the 5th. Remember, remember. It’s Harvinder’s 17th birthday, he’s going out for a meal with his posh parents. Alleyne is a 15 year old mucking out cowsheds on his dad’s farm near Eldwick. Nusrat is waiting in Manningham for her mum to come home from a trip to Pakistan with presents of suits and makeup. She’s not a kid anymore. None of them will be for long.
What follows is a transformation, as three very ordinary Bradford teenagers become the survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. They each in their own way experience a journey into the future influenced by the past; memories, attitudes and cultural references shaped and modified by pragmatism, but never forgotten. The led must become the leaders, over the next thirty years, with all the challenges, sacrifice and compromise that involves.
It’s true theatre in the round from the very beginning, with a performance area flanked with curtains of torn polythene packaging; Uzma Kazi’s design facilitates dramatic moments with some very effective lighting, much of which is literally in the hands of the talented young cast.
The play is an intense three-hander with Natalie Davies, Philip Duguid-McQuillan and Kamal Kaan well balanced in their roles. Director Alex Chisholm has the trio driving the story forward with pace, passion and energy. All three are at their best at moments of raw emotion, when they’re interacting with the others. They’re telling a big story, and if anything I wish there was more of this direct interaction and a little less character narration. I’m a hardcore radio nerd, and Tajinder Singh Hayer’s script would work brilliantly on air.
North Country runs until 5 November (No performances from 29 Oct-1 Nov).
The show is priced on a “Pay What You Decide” basis with tickets available at £3, £5, and £10 from http://www.freedomstudios.co.uk/projects/north-country/. Tickets are also available on the door (cash only). Remember, the door is in Piccadilly, round the back.
Freedom Studios describe themselves as “an award-winning intercultural theatre company, which connects different people and communities through story-telling and making theatre. Engagement is intrinsic to our work, and communities are at the heart of what we do”. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next.