Imagine me starting a blog post on a dark note. Well now you don’t have to.
But when I lost my Dad, I had what was I’m sure a very common reaction to the life event and, indeed, my perspective on what we’re all doing here. What it’s all about and all that jazz.
Part of my grief process led me to a little self-examination and philosophising, and I guess in a sort of angry reaction, I took on a flippant outlook. What is life? What free-will do we actually have, and what is it not if just a giant game of monopoly that we’re just participants in seeing where the dice lands and reacting to it.
Well here we are some years later and I Don’t Wanna Play Anymore, written by Libby Hall and directed by Roni Ellis is provoking thoughts.
And whilst 24 years down the line (and without the raw context of grief) I try to temper my own version of such thoughts with a little more balance, openness and hope than I then had, the innate theory still feels relevant somewhere.
Wouldn’t it be great if life came with an instruction manual? Some guiding principles, like the Monopoly rulebook. Sometimes you need a wikihow on living life right.
I don’t wanna play anymore tries to answer the questions we ask ourselves as we get older. What should I be doing, who should I be doing it with and when should it all be done by?
Life is a game, but how do we play it? In a world where there are winners and losers, playing fair doesn’t always see you right.
A role of the dice change everything.
This was my first theatrical attendance at this year’s Greater Manchester Fringe (always a pleasure) at the glorious Salford Arts Theatre, and its Young Actors Company (in association with To The Left productions), showcasing the talent of young performers aged 12-19.
Last night’s performance and play was a clever, layered embodiment of this theory on our lives. We’re introduced to our group of older teens as they prepare for a homecoming of sorts. There’s fun dialogue as decisions are debated, derided, dictated on what’s appropriate for the unknowing focus of our gathering.
Banners, cakes, cheese quiche, music, declarations… what does a pinterest board look like for planning an event friend who accidentally killed another friend and is now returning to the fray.
But before even that and the background to what brought us here unfolds, we quickly pick up clues that the audience aren’t the only witnesses sat on the sidelines to the story being told.
A literal spectre at the feast, a realisation hits one teen Ava (Josie Leigh), and indeed the audience, that her transpiring passive role in proceedings is the result of her very active role in the incident that led to where we are now.
With musical interludes as the group move across the stage in a seemingly chaotic (yet completely choreographed way – no collisions witnessed – for those who have seen the play, there’s a dark irony to be enjoyed here), we move between present day and an ethereal scene presided over by Ava, here to impart wisdom to her past counterparts by way of dealing them cards for life akin to those in Monopoly.
A windfall handed to one friend demonstrates the unhappy ying leading to that particular yang – a loss of a family member.
The beauty contest winner card is swapped out for vanity for one girl, a consequence of such lends itself to being a bit player in the card Ava was ultimately dealt by life.
An apparent but unspoken go straight to jail card lies with a devastated and unwilling recipient and bit by bit with ‘replays’, we see how the cards dealt were to manifest in life now matter how bids were made to change the script.
Like all good stories and art, whilst this audience member was left with questions answered, she was also left to ponder new ones inspired by what she had seen (as well as an additional question: why am I now speaking in the third person…).
Now if this all sounds a bit abstract, it’s why a play is there to be seen, felt and not described (does that let me off the hook?!).
But I can tangibly say that this no frills production (as all good fringe theatre is), was performed with heart, humour and rapid timing, planting seeds, ideas, what ifs and questions of life along the way.
Now. Time to ‘fess up.
Whose idea. Whose ingenious idea, was it to insert the infamous, the noble, the pop-culture moment that is the Louis Theroux rap into proceedings?
Jiggle Jiggle.
If you know, you know.
honorary manc 
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