Lioness, Made You Look Productions Review
Written by Eve for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Lioness is a one-woman comedy drama by Kate Coulson that follows goalkeeper Marnie and explores confidence, fan culture, womanhood, unity and football.
I think Kate Coulson’s goal to get many football fans into the theatre with this relevant and insightful story is a fantastic bridge between performance and sport. The two are often separated but I have often heard acting teachers compare theatre to a game of football- a live audience, participating and being part of the unfolding of a story, the story told by the players- a team who trust each other to move the game forward, and finishing with celebration and thrill and support by all those involved. I think we should all take a leaf out of Troy Bolton’s book and embrace both together!
When entering the space, I instantly loved the intimacy of being so close to the goal net. Very simple and effective; from the outset, we’re involved in the action. Coulson had an effortlessly strong stage presence and told a clear and engaging story. After the Lionesses’ recent win and the continuously rising attention that women’s football is finally getting, it is really cool to have experienced something that clearly has a lot of passion and care for by Coulson.
I thought Coulson’s character work was great and she maintained an engaging energy. Despite loving the scene created by the set design, the space that Coulson had to play was very limited and I think the piece would have benefited if instead of the full goal- a net was hung on the wall to create the same affect but to allow more clear distinctions and transitions between characters/ scenes and for me not to keep thinking how close her head is to the net.
Overall, if you’re a theatre fan or football lover or Troy Bolton (who we should all aspire to be), this show is worth heading over to Greenside @ Riddles Court to experience!
★ ★ ★
