The Me Plays, Old Red Lion Theatre

By Gwenni Hawkins

Andrew Maddock is a formidably impressive human being. He has worked tirelessly to widen participation in theatre amongst young and disadvantaged people, and his latest offering, The Me Plays, comprising of two semi-autobiographical monologues, complements this well by its critical yet understanding look at seemingly commonplace problems which can have a devastating effect on the individual and society at large. Though they deal with common life experiences, the subject matter is elevated to the sublime by the skilled poetry that makes up his plays.

The first of the two on offer, Junkie, examines how technology has blighted and damaged 21st century relationships. So far, so Black Mirror. However, Maddock’s work probes deeper than a superficial look at the perils of social media. The play starts off with paranoias about meeting up with a girl he has met on Tinder, and the insecurities this throws up (ranging from feeling overweight to incapable of interacting ‘normally’ with another human being). The humour in this initial stage is principally brought about through the very astute social observation of himself and fellow Londoners, which both criticises the contemporary change in values, while appreciating his own hypocritical viewpoint. It was this demonstration of how endemic these seemingly trivial problems are that really struck home.

The simple set evoked a Matrix-like environment, where every second thought was paralleled by a digital impulse, which worked in tandem with the intimate space of The Old Red Lion to create a suffocating, enveloping, yet all too familiar experience.

One criticism of the piece is that the delivery was a touch on the fast side which, coupled with its rhymes and rhythm, meant that some of the more complex references and colloquialisms were lost. This was a shame, as the material was so striking that it was a pity that any of it was lost by struggling ears. However, the subtle direction and movement, bouncing off the sparse set, meant that any slight lapses in terms of language did not create too much of a disjoint in the narrative or tone of the piece.

The true pathos came through comparisons of the mundane- of ‘Me’ comparing his self, or as he saw it “this twisted skin”, with an apparently more successful stranger- “Bet he can look in the mirror and he don’t even care”. It was these moments that really hammered home the dangerous nature of social networking, where comparisons of every aspect of oneself, not only the superficial, become insidiously part of the game. Maddock really showed how “this digital age” (a trope neatly repeated throughout the piece) creates an insane sadness from the everyday madness.

As impressive as Junkie was, I personally found the second piece, Hi Life, I Win, the more moving. It begins with ‘Me’ revealing that he would imminently find out whether or not he has terminal cancer, which instigated a thoughtful, beautifully articulated review of his younger years. A sweet parallel was drawn in the initial moments between this present hospital experience, and one from his childhood, which was conveyed by an anecdote about the feast of Ribena he was allowed to drink as a little wounded soldier. The themes in this second piece were more timeless than the previous, with religion, mortality, and the sometimes all-encompassing influence family has on a young mind. The younger ‘Me’ details his problems at school, a lot of which stem from his grief over his beloved grandfather’s death. The topic was dealt with subtlety, and never felt hemmed in as an easy excuse for delinquence. The character of ‘Arizona Dan’, a Christian do-gooder who could’ve so easily have become a caricature, provided an original sounding board for the young ‘Me’. Further praise should be given to Maddock’s impression of a child, which managed to convey the extreme emotions of a child, without ever smacking of melodrama or pantomime.

A fantastic evening of poetry, humour, and beautifully observed reflections, this is one not to miss (If only for the fantastic rendition of “Hail Mary, full of bread”).

In short: category defining theatre from a man who is doing a great job of taking contemporary theatre by the horns, challenging it, and ultimately making it better.

The Old Red Lion Theatre,

Tuesday 2nd – Saturday 20th September

7.30pm

Book here: http://www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk/the-me-plays.htm

Photo by Hannah Ellis Photography

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