CityLife

Eight

Eight
The Lowry Studio
July 22, 2010

NewUpNorth is a relatively young theatre company established a couple of years ago in Manchester. Its aim is to be involved in fresh and original writing - which is certainly an apt description of Eight, written by Ella Hickson.

Originally inspired by a survey asking twentysomethings what defined their generation, the almost unanimous response of 'apathy' caused her to examine the human condition through the lives of an assortment of individuals reared in a society where everything is acceptable.

Presented in eight monologues, ranging from the tragic to the comedic, Hickson affords a diverse group portrait of the Noughties where lost souls struggle in search of  identity in a spiritually bankrupt Britain.

Amongst the powerful stories told is that of the sole survivor of the London bus bomb on July 7 2005, who creates a new life for himself out of the chaos of that day while he deals with the shock. Another tells the story of a soldier in Basra affected mentally by what he's experienced.

There's humour too and poignancy as these eight human beings relate their stories. There are excellent performances from such a strong cast that, in this case, they all deserve a mention.

Peter Hunt, Elizabeth Lowe and Scarlett Mack are all on good form. But it's also exciting to see locally trained actors like Thomas McGarva, Tim Dann, Wendy Patterson, Sophia Hatfield and Ryan Greaves given such a terrific showcase.

Eight has already received rave reviews in London, New York and the Edinburgh Festival. It's hardly surprising as the writing is both vivid and vibrant and the performances do it justice.

I should point out that it's also justifiably frank and contains adult themes.

Catch it if you can - although unfortunately it's only here until July 24.