However, it turns out we really should know Macready because his life and achievements are not only admirable and long-reaching but also fascinating in their own right. A reluctant actor-manager, rising from the provinces to London's principle tragedian, Macready transformed the way plays were performed, conceived... and rehearsed.
Already a fascinating life story for anyone interested in the history of theatre, in the hands of writer and performer Mark Stratford, this solo show becomes a universal tale of ambition, sacrifice, love and loss. Stratford finds the humanity, humour and colour in every corner of this biography, frequently drawing delighted laughter from the audience, and like all great storytellers keeps you hooked from start to finish. The 80 minute running time gallops by.
I loved how Stratford was able to turn his one man show into a two hander, as he morphed seamlessly between his own stage persona as narrator, and the actor-manager himself. His amiable narrator was charmingly relaxed and playful, Macready much more earnest and dramatic. Several other characters pop in for brief cameos, creating a richly textured world in which the narrative plays out. Simple costume changes punctuate our journey through the years, marking moments of triumph and tragedy, but also of maturing. Macready ages before our eyes as his simple school boy shirt is augmented with a young man's waistcoat, then weighed down with a heavy jacket in middle age.
Light and sound added sharp and sudden moments of action, expertly provided by Eddie Stephens on the desk, helping this feel like a polished production that really deserves a West End run in one of the major theatres associated with Macready's work. An absolute joy of a production, for theatre fans of all stripes.
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