Present, Live Theatre Newcastle Review
Present at Live Theatre, Newcastle production image. Photo by Matt Jamie.
Written by Stacy for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The Christmas period generally means a time of festive fun and pantomime, filled with raucous laughter, a full cast of characters, and an innuendo or two. But not every Christmas story is a happy tale that will leave you warm and fuzzy. So where do these stories go? Who witnesses these valid and deserving narratives? This year Live Theatre has welcomed a non-traditional Christmas production by boldly presenting Present, in association with Alphabetti Theatre, to give this fringe style production a bigger platform to deliver its poignant and heartfelt message this season. Present premiered at Alphabetti in 2019 to great acclaim and was written and directed by Ali Pritchard and developed with members from Crisis Skylight. This year brings an elevated production that retains its link with Crisis to deliver innovative storytelling, compelling performances, and a play that still shares an important, emotional, and thought-provoking experience five years on.
So, what is Present about? Hold my hanky I’m going in…!! Meet Dave! It’s December 23rd and he is setting up for his traditional Christmas activity, to party like it’s 1994. Dave likes to dance. Dave is fun, and likes a laugh. But…Dave loves a drink and Dave, it turns out, is homeless. His traditional festive night is off to a flying start, the music is raving, the drinks are flowing and the dance moves are extra, until a text message stops the night in its tracks, and the real-world floods in like a tsunami. This text delivers the chance for Dave to meet his grandson for the first time – setting off a chain of events, in a mission to buy a gift in time to give his six-year-old-grandson on Christmas. Now, this all sounds wonderfully wholesome with a narrative that is heading towards a Hallmark ending. But what I was not prepared for was the rollercoaster of emotions this play would present. Dave is a complex character carrying years of shame and grief and his journey instilled a love/hate relationship towards him and his life choices. But these binary emotions mean Dave’s character and story has something to say. Theatre should affect you, both good and bad, cause you to think, question life and its challenges and Dave’s story does just that. The effects of alcoholism are not kind or pretty and it can lead to homelessness. Therefore, this illness should not be neatly pushed to one side whilst we all enjoy the festivities this season has to offer. Dave’s story and many others just like it need to be seen and heard, and this play pushes this need to the forefront of society where it belongs in the hope that action can be taken and achieved.
Essentially this is a one-man play, accompanied by a live musician, Ceitidh Mac, who’s hauntingly beautiful tones overlayed an eerie warmth to the piece respectively. Dave, played by Malcolm Shields, had an extremely tough job on his hands to deliver such a difficult narrative alone, yet this was a stand-out performance. Dave is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but Shields managed to rinse every nuance out of this character showing both the inner-turmoil this illness provokes and the physicality of alcoholism. The highs and the lows were deeply affecting and it certainly was a piece of theatre I will not be forgetting in a hurry.
Present is a testament to the power of storytelling and the gift you didn’t know you needed this Christmas. With a knock-out performance by Shields and a narrative that will pull you in every direction, it will leave you moved by its heartfelt, yet important messages, but certain you have just witnessed something wonderful.
At Live Theatre, Newcastle until 21 December 2024
★★★★★
