How does this play portray Manchester
Manchester Is a Character, Unfortunately
The Guardian’s review of *Even These Things* makes it sound like Manchester has been cast in a play about itself, then asked to provide the props.
Rory Mullarkey’s Royal Exchange production moves through three centuries, from Victorian immigration to the 1996 bombing and the aftermath of the Arena attack. It apparently finds the city in shoppers, teenagers and Oasis fans, which is a fairly efficient way to cover both belonging and someone shouting the chorus of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” near a tram stop.
The awkward bit I like the idea of a city’s identity being built out of ordinary people rather than landmark speeches. Though Manchester being portrayed through ordinary people does raise the question of whether the interval queue counts as immersive theatre.