The bluesy trills of a clarinet were still honeycombing through my mind as  I left the wet summer’s evening to Manchester’s Jazz Festival and climbed the stone steps into the nearby Theatre Royal/ Coliseum Club. The decision was easy for me to make either I accept the kind invitation to watch Mia Darlone’s latest production  ‘The Decision’ or stay put and listen to an endless night of Jazz beneath leaden skies and clinging drizzle.

 

Mia’s play describes its self as a dramatic comedy about a 'Busker'   which in my view is not strictly true.  The play centres on the two main characters.

 

Dan ( Paul Brandreth)  

 

Genna (Rebecca Andrews)

 

The plethora of decisions they decide upon that are the catalysts for the story as it unfolds Genna’s seemingly  shallow life is full of decisions to be made but instinctively she knows that she deserves a better life.  Her boyfriend, a singer song writer busking on the streets of Middlesbrough, is absorbed totally within his music and is undecided how to deal with temptation of the offer of venturing further afield and playing to wider audiences in Manchester.

 

Now here is a plot that might surprise you:

 

 Boy dumps girl, because she done him wrong, girl discovers that she is pregnant and desperately wants boy to return to her but boy ignores all of her pleas.

Whilst Boy searches for his dream he meets another girl and is confused.

 

Read it, seen it , worn the tee shirt … ?

 

I don't think so. 

 

You need to see the second act of ‘The Decision’ which is very skilfully paced and adds more than its fair share of pathos with an very unexpected and clever twist to end this excellent play.

 

‘The Decision’ is billed as a dramatic comedy and whilst I am happy to admit to being pleasantly amused I didn’t laugh out loud or even inwardly. Maybe it was the overtones of the imminent sadness to come that subconsciously darkened the lightness and as a consequence the attempts of comedy clashed rather than complimented.

 

Although it is true to say that whilst Sharon Heywood treads the boards Katherine Tate will never be forgotten. Sharon who played the part of Genna’s mother was a comedic tour de force of a role and ironically she was able to hush the audience when delivering her poignant lines of desperation later in the play. 

 

A comedy its not and in my opinion ‘The Decision’ would be better described as;

 

‘A Drama with Highlights of Lightness’.

 

 

Both Paul Brandreth and  Rebecca  Andrews are outstanding in their respective portrayals of Dan and Genna  and enabled the complexity of the plot to unfold seamlessly  around them and prove perfect foils for the rest of  the cast to play to.

 

The part of Genna’s best friend was played superbly by

Parisa Nikkhah- eshghi who brought the fizzy,dizzy bimboesque into her character of Michelle whose warmth shone comforting light into her friend Genna’s increasing darkness.

 

 

 

 

Dan’s escape to Manchester from Newcastle guaranteed him to wake up almost every morning having scored - Jennifer Edwards (Sally) sensible and sexy and then he was  to be stalked relentlessly by ardent fans in the guise of the almost too attractive for the role, Beth Cooper (Maggie) who played the outragous flirt superbly.

 

Mark Rigby - the kindly Pete plays the role of Dan’s understanding flat mate and gigs manager who is constantly blaming his receding hairline for his lack lustre sex life whilst Dan it seems has only to pick up a guitar and sing. 

 

Whilst we are on a musical note  a play centred on a busker is by its very nature going to require a guitar a singer and a song, I have no problem with that, but please ,please  ensure that the song is the play’s 'signature', it has to be as memorable as the storyline itself.Sadly on the night the twangs and rifts were tedious as to be the words of love, not good enough thought I to get an offer of a record deal in London by any stretch of the imagination.

 

The talented Mia Darlone’s first three plays best described as uniquely ambitious post watershed productions are so unlike her latest ‘The Decision’. 'The Decison'  has a strong and poignant storyline and is a superbly cast production deserving all the theatrical  acclaim, support and exposure it can muster.  In my view ‘The Decision’   is a winner, an ideal candidate for adaptation to TV or short film.

 

 

 ‘The Decision’ 

 

Written and produced by Mia Darlone

 

 

 

Directed by Charlie Mortimer

 

Stage Manager - Danielle Mcullough