What are you watching at the moment, any recommendations?

Television has always been the mainstay of what was known as the ‘watercooler moment’.

With the amount of content at our literal fingertips, there’s more to discuss than ever before. It’s the ultimate topic to fill a silence, share a bond and a viewing tip or two.

I want to discuss Work It Out with others. Play ‘who’s your favourite character’, speculate what goes on outside in each of their homes when they leave the main stage, what came before, what’s likely to come after (and be able to bear witness to that in a follow-up season).

This is different to pontificating about what a fine piece of theatre something is and recommending to others. It’s a symptom of a story and characters firmly planting themselves in your mind, having enough depth to make you really care within a small window.

That’s what Work It Out does.

Work It Out, a sharply funny drama about everything but exercise.   
 
This moving story follows a community-based fitness class where a rag tag band of participants, all with their own issues, swallow their fear and step out of their comfort zones. 

Together, they work out their problems with music, exercise, and gallows humour. But amidst the sweat and camaraderie there is a simmering mix of fragile egos and impulsive behaviour that threatens to boil over at any moment.  

The show is written by Eve Steele (Scott & Bailey, All at Sea, Fat Friends, Coronation Street), who also plays Siobhan,

It had all the warmth, humour, gritty realness and humanity that some of the best northern productions, both on screen and stage, are famed and applauded for.

Indeed, some of the audience members on press night were like a who’s who of northern drama and the play was more than worthy of its esteemed presence.

The set was simple but incredibly realistic in that we were immediately transported to any rec room/community centre/school hall we’d ever encountered before. The scene was the weekly fitness class, designed to be an aide and support to individuals and their respective paths to recovery from various addictions and mental health challenges.

Alice – the instructor who may have bitten off more than she can chew…

Colette – painfully self-conscious and struggling with an eating disorder

Marie – a feisty woman in her 70s battling agoraphobia and dependence on prescription medication

Rab – a recovering alcoholic, able to see the funny side in just about everything

Rebecca – Marie’s granddaughter who is deaf and dealing with depression and isolation

Shaq – a young man determined not to let his ADHD and unsafe housing situation ruin his life

Siobhan – a roguish heroin addict, trying to get both clean and her kids back

The narrative took us, week by week, class by class, on a journey of 26 weeks as each character ‘Mick Jaggered’, jumped, lunged, thrusted and grimaced (at least initially) through each class, lead by its instructor, the brilliant Elizabeth Twells.

As each character enters the initial class, we’re introduced to a whole host of different personalities and indeed traits, each displaying their unique place on the scale of both enthusiasm towards the class and their life journeys to peace and recovery.

The entire show gives high octane energy, really quite literally. Kudos to that cast who not only kept our senses engaged with their emotional, funny and passionate performances, but who at the same time physically took part in fitness and dance routines which must smash their Apple Ring targets every single night.

In the best dramatic tradition, there is conflict between class members, which turns to camaraderie, to grapples and fights, passion and pain, insight and support. As we see the bouncy, cheery, well-meaning fitness instructor taken on her own journey from a place of neutral encouragement to despondency and heartbreak, we’re there for every single moment.

The fantasy dance sequences which occasionally punctuate events do much to distract us momentarily from the darker, necessary moments of the story. Except one which I’m still pondering the deeper meaning of which appeared to depict one of the class members inner demons in a murder most horrid sequence, seemingly never to be revisited…(another reason why I need a sequel).

But, my own brief confusion aside, the production is quite brilliant in its character development and depth, making you care about these three-dimensional people, and keen for a catch-up and follow-up season to stream.

So, if you plan on seeing this joyous, energetic, dark, funny, all too real, social commentary on our life and times, make sure you meet me at the watercooler/comments section afterwards for a full post mortem.

Tickets for Work It Out at HOME are available now. For more information and to secure your seats, visit HOME or contact the box office at 0161 200 1500.

Work It Out stars Elizabeth Twells (BBC’s Everything I Know About Love, ITV’s The Bay) as Alice, Aaron McCusker (Channel 4’s Shameless, Marcella(Netflix)) as Rab, Eva Scott (Betty! (Royal Exchange Theatre) as Colette, Eithne Browne (BBC’s Secret State, Stags and Hens (Young Vic)) as Marie, Raffie Julien (Film4’s MO ❤ KYRA 4EVA, Follow The Signs (Soho Theatre)) as Rebecca, and Dominic Coffey (Lay Down Your Burdens (The Barbican),Don’t Mind Me (Sadler’s Wells)) as Shaq.

Directed by Sarah Frankcom with special shout-out to Movement Direction and Choreographer, Jenni Jackson!