Hope Street Theatre, Liverpool – until 21st July 2018
Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
Bottleneck is the first production by Hiding Place Theatre. It’s originally written by Luke Barnes. Performed in the new Hope Street Theatre venue, itself steeped in history as an old Masonic Building. Unconventional but highly promising for small upcoming productions to test the waters and find their feet and well worth the effort of keeping an eye on for future productions worthy of your time.
The theatre itself is simple with black wall coverings, black flooring and simple blocks as a makeshift stage. The background is white with Liverpool FC posters and scarves, you could be forgiven for thinking it was many a youngsters bedroom wall. We are introduced to Greg Williams a young lad of 14, ok a few days short of his 15th birthday. He lives in his footie kit, his football isn’t far away, I imagine his bedroom walls and ceiling have a few football shaped marks adorning them. This is 1989 a year many will remember, I anticipated a nostalgia fest – for I was myself 15 in 1989. Be warned Greg’s language is rather blue (I bet he won’t like that being a red through and through) He’s a typical teenager and I found his anecdotal Scouse one liners hilarious. Credit where credit is due Daniel Cassidy is fantastic as Greg, it can’t be easy standing up in front of a Liverpudlian audience to deliver a one man show on a subject as emotive as teenagers and football not to mention one fateful day that changed the lives of an entire city.
You listen to Greg ranting on about Marmite, Quavers (never again will I be able to view a simple cheesy snack in the same way) his Mum having left his Dad. He views life simply; he says he is thick and doesn’t understand why people are scared of his Dad as his Dad isn’t a fighter. But everyone knows him, doesn’t suggest notoriety of years gone by? Greg is a teenager who knows it all without actually fully knowing anything. I found myself leaning forward in my chair watching Greg’s escapades with bated breath. His best friend is asthmatic Tom, reaching for his inhaler in times of panic. Tom is a blue and that’s where the lads banter comes in. Greg wants to be John McClane, he bounces around the set with energy and enthusiasm shooting anyone foolish enough to get in his way.
Tom manages to get 2 tickets from his brother for the match on Saturday (Greg’s birthday) you feel a sense of foreboding, genuinely want to shout don’t go, stay home. But teenagers long for adventure. The action turns somewhat from comedy to action, it steps up a gear as the boys try to work together to get the money to buy the ticket from Greg’s Dad who is trying to instil a sense of worth into his son. As a parent you know its because you can’t be seen to condone anyone stealing and those tickets were stolen. They save lunch money, Greg attempts to help in a local barbers shop but somehow whilst gelling hair to his top lip and flouncing into John McClane mode manages to get himself barred and earning a paltry £3 that’s still £6 short of the £15 ticket price and we won’t mention the Sarah Jane incident and her mothers medicine. They resort to stealing £10 from the burger man. Tom hands over the money to Greg stating he wants his friend to have it all as it’s his birthday. He can even get a muzzie implant if he wants. They manage to throw a stone and smash a police car sorry the bizzies. Which results in the belt, grounding and no happy birthday for Greg.
Daniel manages to switch characters extremely well you fully follow him on this journey, his accent changes are a good break, the pauses remind you that time often stops especially when you’re a bored teenager. You don’t want Greg to creep into his Dads room and take the ticket, to shimmy out of his bedroom window. He shouts abuse at his Dad says ‘see you later’. Never leave angry, never leave in hatred is something we learn as we’re older. Greg and Tom are small they make their way through the crowd in Sheffield, manage to get to the front they are joking and laughing glad to be there. But as I become aware of the people around me, no longer laughing, I become aware I’m holding my breath, my hand is clasped to my face. A man is clearing his throat of emotion and my friend is already weeping. This is still a raw emotion here in Liverpool for many the memories of that fateful day will stay with them forever. It was delivered with perfect clarity and timing the sense of bewilderment and anger building in one so young, to feel the confusion, no sense of being alive or dead. You want to scoop him up tell him he’ll be ok. Trauma is dealt with differently these days but then it was still a mentality of get on with it. You can’t see any broken bones but you do feel a broken teenager, one who lost his best friend and has to learn how to deal with that too. I felt shellshocked when the play ended, utterly amazed at how the memories came flooding back to me, as a Liverpool supporter I had turned the tv on that April day, to see if I could spot people I knew as well as cheer my team on. My Uncle never went to another Liverpool game again, his story was heartbreaking, friends in school we were glad to see return. We talked about how breathtakingly good Bottleneck is during our trainride home. We spoke about football – yes 2 middleaged women sharing stories and remembering that one day nearly 30 years ago. Don’t be put off watching Bottleneck because of the emotional subject but go and enjoy it’s pure brilliance, packed into just 60 minutes, oh and take tissues.