Photo Credit: Chris Payne – L-R – Laura Robinson (Polly), Kaitlyn Akinpelumi (Angie) / Musicians – LJ Willow & Darragh Cowley
A Guest Review by Wendy Boother
How Soon Is Now, is a new indie musical, set to a soundtrack of 90s classics about mates, music and magic, about finding your place and finding yourself.
Set on New Year’s Eve 1997 in Manchester, at Déjà Vus’ club, Spin Jim is on the decks and ready to take you into the new year. The whole place is electric. Three girls are on the dance floor. Polly and Angie are ready for a big night. Jean is lost and alone. But as midnight beckons, and darkness falls, will they find their light?
Photo Credit: Chris Payne – Darragh Cowley (Spin Jim)
How Soon Is Now, from Box of Tricks Theatre Company, is not your happy, clappy, sing along musical.
It makes you really listen to and digest the lyrics if you’re not familiar with them already, and as the drama unfolds it puts the songs into context. You see the familiar songs in a new light, which provokes thoughts during the show, and again on the way home.
Photo Credit: Chris Payne – Bethan Mclean (Jean) & Theo Woolford (Carl)
I could certainly relate to emotional exchanges in the female toilets, gazing in the mirrors under bright lights and preparing my face, ready to ‘meet my public’ back on the dance floor. Everyone has their own story, their own demons and the script by Siân Owen captured this all too well.
Photo Credit: Chris Payne – Laura Robinson (Polly)
The talented cast of musicians, dancers, singers and actors, many doubling up their roles, really gave their all. Laura Robinson as Polly stood out for me and she is a rising star no doubt, but not to detract from the rest of the cast who are all clearly well on their way.
