THE COST OF A SOYA LATTE: CLASS, COMEDY, AND COMING OF AGE

By Natasha U’Ren-Ashdown | @tasha.ua ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

What a play. I’ll admit, I was sceptical at first as I find that one-act plays can struggle to maintain engagement or distinguish between characters. But Tom Claxton (Tommy) is a storyteller of rare talent. A Manchester Anthem blends comedy and vulnerability in Tommy’s fight between ambition and loyalty to his current identity. The play captures Tommy, a 19-year-old Mancunian, on his last night before leaving his working-class roots behind to study at Oxford University. It keeps you guessing and is worth your time.

From the moment Tommy appears on stage, in a pyjama-like top, long socks and boxers, you can’t help but laugh at the unexpected vulnerability. His easy confidence, casually listening to N-JOI and showing off his air-keyboard skills, instantly creates a sense of intimacy, inviting us into his private world. After, as he rushes to his café job, we meet his posh classmates who sneer at his working-class background yet unexpectantly invite him to their Oxford-bound house party.

Claxton’s character work is exceptional. You forget he has the stage to himself. He captures his posh classmates with wit and just the right amount of exaggeration, from the clipped tones to the snobbish mannerisms. Seriously, who orders a £5 Soya Latte and doesn’t drink it?Tommy’s imposter syndrome is heightened when he attends the house party filled with privilege, marbled floors and gated homes. It’s a world utterly removed from his upbringing, where he is the only one in his family, even his street, to be going to university. What was meant to be a simple night out becomes a compelling confrontation between his upbringing and identity, and his aspirations.

The set and design are minimal and ingenious, consisting of a wall of cardboard boxes, used to convey Manchester landmarks and later into lighting that evokes the pulsing club atmosphere. Combined with music and strobe lighting, the production immerses the audience in the changing moods of the evening, from slow-motion dancing to drunken chaos. In one particularly impressive scene, Tom holds a conversation between himself and another character without moving a step, relying purely on vocal nuance, presence and overhead lighting. It was powerful and filled with melancholy.

A Manchester Anthem is more than a coming-of-age story. It is a vivid exploration of identity, ambition, class and belonging. It perfectly captures the tension between striving for something new and staying true to where you come from, and does so in a way that is funny, raw, and relatable. I appreciated how the ending repeated the song from the beginning, which we also learn was significant in his childhood. This subtly reinforced that, no matter what happens, he’ll always stay rooted in who he is. It was a smart and thoughtful way to bring the story full circle. Alongside the rest of the audience at the end, you will be on your feet, clapping and cheering!

A Manchester Anthem is running at Riverside Studios until Saturday 13 September.

Content warnings: Strobe Lights, Mentions of Death, Drug Use.

WEBSITE

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo Credit: Flood Ltd