CityLife

This is an exceptional production, with strong performances from all the excellent cast. Starletta DuPois is capitavting as the widdowed Matriarch watching her children struggle to find their way in a changing but still cruel world. Jenny Jules is perfect as Ruth shackled by the need to focus on the practical.Tracey Ifeachor captures the spark of the wonderfully bright younger sister Benetha who battles to make sense of the restrictions that ecomomics and race place on her ambitions. And Ray Fearon is quite brilliant as Walter Lee, who starts the play as a somewhat unsympathetic foolish dreamer, is broken by events but thorugh that journey finds true inner strength. As a whole the production delievers an emotional evening where we truely engage with the characters. Written 50 years ago this play remains startlingly fresh. A complete "Must See". Bravo

A spellbinding, powerful production with superb performances throughout. The way this play speaks to the modern world is partly due to the strength of the play itself but also to the crisp direction of Greg Hersov, who takes us on a roller coaster ride through the drama. Yet another excellent addition to what has been a vibrant season of plays at the Exchange

An enthraling performance by a top rate cast makes this play speak to the modern world despite its age. Seen as a companion piece to the previous Octogon production of All My Sons the continued theme of family secrets hidden for years coming back to "haunt" future generations is brought to the stage with the skill one might expect from David Thacker. Great performances all round but special mention for Oscar Pearce who once again wrings the emotions out of the role of Oswald without ever becoming cloying. Another "must see" production

A splendid revival of a little peformed play. Whilst the settings and structure of the play are firmly linked to its Edwardian roots, the themes include the contemporary issues of debt and how to deal (or not deal) with it. For anyone who has lost money on the stock markets in recent months the reminder that speculation is not the same as "real work" and that if you gamble don't be suprised to lose are particularly apt. Ruth Gibson is excellent as the fiesty Sidney who rebels against the social norms of the age. Geoff Breton's Edgar, the public school and university graduate who mimics his hopeless father's views of women and politics is a gem (I'm sure I saw him in the Bullingham club photo alongside Cameron and Osborne.....) A super production and a great reminder of the strong tradition of Manchester theatre.

Unlike most of the others in tonights audience I found this disappointing. I really wanted to like it but ended up seeing this as a shallow, one- dimentional, disjointed piece. A combination of ill conceived stereotypes went through a series of predicable scenes with a few "shock" moments thrown in to make it "cutting edge". I found out little about the characters as the play proceeded, and, eventually, I cared even less. A play which uses so many words and has, at heart, so little to say. The cast worked hard but I was often left feeling as if this was a 6th form leavers play written by someone who had seen Lindsay Anderson's If on DVD and hoped no-one notices he has pinched the idea. I guess I'm in a small minority here, given the reaction of those around me but I was very, very disappointed.

Highly entertaining and ultimately thought-provoking story of six men caught up in the social changes of early 1960s England. As the country starts to experience the first stirrings of the liberal 1960's, the characters find old certainties breaking down and old values challenged. Workplace, music, love and friendships are all altered in unexpected ways. A marvelous thread of excellently delivered songs binds this splendid production together, with the cast all delivering a top draw night of theatre.

An excellent and absorbing production of a thought provoking play. Top marks all round to the splendid cast who work together to produce a memorable piece of ensemble theatre. Special mention for the splendid Poppy Miller who takes the role of Shen Te by the scruff of the neck and delivers a moving yet powerful performance. Bravo.

It is sometimes difficult for productions to bring to the stage the undercurrents of the repressed lives that populate Ibsen’s work. By using a stark, almost minimalist, set this Exchange production allows the actors the freedom to reveal the essence of their characters and this cast grasps that chance brilliantly. With this approach it is key for the words to be heard and hats off to the cast for their clarity of delivery. It is refreshing not just to see strong performances to but to hear them as well! With strong performances all round I found the whole production captivating.

Superbly staged and acted version of what can be a difficult play given the themes that are addressed. David Fielder yet again demonstrates his mastery of the live stage, making us both despise and shed a tear for Shylock as he rages through the play to his final degradation. It is great credit to Emily Pithon that she shines so brightly as Portia that she perfectly counterbalances the strength that Fielder brings to his role. The rest of the cast don't disappoint to both comic and tragic effect. This is a vibrant and important production that deserves a wider audiance.

A beautifully brooding production of this intense play. The cast splendidly capture the claustrophobic lives of the three sisters as they come to realise that their dreams are just that and will never be fulfilled. Beth Cooke, Emma Cunliffe and Lucy Black are perfect as Irina, Masha and Olga, whilst Polly Findlay is splendidly nasty as Natasha. Praise too for Christopher Colquhon as Baron Tusenbach who rings character out of what could too easily be a caricature The pace of this play never falters and you emerge engaged with the lives you have seen fall before you. An intellegent and gripping evening