After debuting in Kent and the Edinburgh International Festival before touring the UK, Please Right Back graced the Northern Stage, right here on campus, from the 1st to the 5th of October. This visually and emotionally stirring performance explores the complexities of class, education and the criminal justice system.
It is a co-production from the Burgtheater Vienna and 1927, a multi-award winning performance company that brings a certain type of magic to theatrical performance. The essence of the multimedia company comes from Paul Barritt, Animator and Illustrator, and Suzanne Andrade, Writer and Performer who founded 1927 in 2005. However, the troupe truly came together with the additions of Performer Esme Appleton, Lillian Henley as Composer and Pianist and Jo Crowley as Co-Producer. Through their seamless blending of traditional theatre with animated visual projections and live music, they produce a unique depiction of current societal issues with a playful nostalgia that utterly draws the audience into a couple of hours of nonsensical, sometimes dystopian, storytelling.
a classic 1950s whodunnit, which ascended into the fantastical adventures of Mr E
In Please Right Back, we were immediately shuttled into a classic 1950s whodunnit, which ascended into the fantastical adventures of Mr E (Stefan Davis) communicated through letters to his children, Kim (Chardae Philips) and Davey (voiced by Davey Patrick Copley). In his simple wish to get home in time for tea with his family, Mr E is caught up trying to return a very unsuspicious briefcase to an even less suspicious Mr Jones, when it is stolen by The Big Man. The sinister truth behind these letters is soon revealed as the audience finds out Mr E is writing from prison. This collision of childish wonder against grim reality is communicated eloquently through the nostalgic animations by Paul Barritt. Based on true childhood events of writer Suzanna Andrade, the play highlights the importance of children’s imagination in processing trauma.
The production plays with heavy criticism of the aptly named Ministry of Joy, despite the pre-show announcement expressing that "any resemblances to real-life institutions are circumstantial, even if they are in fact based on those real-life institutions". Although I resonated with the not-so-subtle criticism of the criminal justice system, I did feel that at times the script veered from an artfully embedded message to one that felt more in your face during one of the final monologues. Having said this, the production was simply like nothing I had seen before. I could not believe the precision of the performance in seamless coordination with the projected animations and joyful energy that was maintained throughout. The heavier tones of the underpinning message were well-balanced with the script’s humour, imagination and playfulness. One standout highlight for me was the animated character of Davey and the live Actor’s creative and impeccably timed interactions with him throughout the performance.
If you ever get the chance to see a 1927 production, I definitely recommend it, and I even had time to get home for tea. Easy Peasy!
