Unexpected Twist (Theatre Royal, Nottingham, Personal)
🌟 Unexpected Twist 🌟
25 March 2023 at 2:30pm at Nottingham Theatre Royal
★★★★★
Unexpected Twist, adapted for stage from Michael Rosen’s novel, sees a clear inspiration from Dickens’ Oliver Twist, combining the sordid 19th century of the original story with a 21st century representation of poverty on the streets of east London. There are so many reasons as to why this play excels in this fusion, as we often see the traditional characters of Nancy, Sikes and Fagin (in period costumes) confined to the upstage balcony, however throughout certain scenes, we see their influence and characteristics invade the modern world, where they join the main stage space and parallels can be drawn amongst the Dickensian and contemporary worlds. The common theme is the tragedy of poverty, and alike Oliver, we follow protagonist Shona’s struggle of being groomed into the world of gang culture, though as the piece was directorially set to be a family show, these themes were dealt with sensitively, but with enough punch to deliver a powerful message on the reflection of events such as the ‘cost of living crisis’ today.
Even from the second the production began, the show never ceased to inspire me with new and unique ideas on performance. Particularly in the opening, we are greeted by two schoolboys who remind us to switch off our mobile phones, and introduce us to the world of a capella. The style of a capella has always fascinated me, but not only did they integrate it through the use of song, but within every sound made on stage, from dripping water to the school bell, my jaw would drop every time at how powerful the voice can be. Vocals alone would literally change the atmosphere of a scene in a way that music couldn’t possibly replicate. How raw the sound of voice is just found to be incomparable. The style of beatboxing was often present, which complimented the rap musical numbers effectively. The opening score (“School School”) really lent itself well to this, to reflect the grungy and rebellious teenage angst of secondary school, with beautifully interjected moments of comedy, as the enunciation of their words was impeccable, especially considering the high energy, it was an impressive feat indeed. It’s uncommon to see performative rap amongst the theatre scene, so this was such a pleasure to see this typical theatrical convention broken. One of the key settings for the story was Shona’s new school, and writing this review, I am still rather freshly out of school myself. With a phenomenally talented young cast, they really played into the stereotypes of a disrupted classroom, and I feel that atmosphere really resonated.
It would be impossible to credit everyone on the team who contributed to this outstanding show, but I cannot go without mentioning the sensational Drew Hylton’s performance as Shona. If you ever need the definition of a rising star, be sure to check out this insanely talented actress. At the age of 17, she gives us a knockout role that anyone would be envious of, the range in her singing gave audiences so many different sides to Shona, whether it be a determined or vulnerable state, the mood was spot on. Beginning with “Days Of My Life”, I got goosebumps immediately because of how beautifully raw her singing complimented the other kids. This brings me to also mention Alex Hardie’s role as the abrasive Gaz. Not only did he capture the cheekiness of the character splendidly, but his talent among the beatboxing didn’t go amiss. On Instagram, Alex treated us to A Nottingham Theatre Royal Concert Hall story takeover towards the beginning of its run, and I found this really amplified my enjoyment of seeing the a capella style in full force, how it is created and bringing such a new, trailblazing show to life.
Additionally, the final scene to the was just pure theatre gold. Once the last musical number had finished, all actors came onstage to perform a never before seen improvised melody, which I won’t spoil too much, but it just breathes life into a new generation of theatre. This allowed audiences to get their phones out to record the section, and I just love to see this, as a way to preserve the memory of the show, and it helps to define exactly when audiences should and shouldn’t use their phones. I just have so so so much love for this show, how fresh and innovative this take on theatre is, seriously this play needs more recognition. And I won’t stop hoping for a cast album imminently, the songs have been looping round my head ever since it ended!
Just a quick mention to say thank you to Nottingham Theatre Royal for wonderful £5 tickets to see the show via a free promotion on Twitter. Making theatre accessible, especially for young audiences, is so important moving forward.
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