Thursday
20 Februrary 2003
Review: Once Upon a Time in Wigan |
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Once Upon A Time in Wigan |
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I'm
always scared of anything that claims to be about northern soul. I'm
always disappointed - my own efforts excepted of course - and find
myself in denial when people ask "didn't you used to be into that?"
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But this
is different for once I think that the writer might have just about
got it right. There are errors but sad anoraks would point out that
we weren't wearing circle skirts and Spencers bags when Wigan shut.
Oh and Betty La Vette, Sam Fletcher and quite a few other tracks used
didn't surface until after the hallowed halls of Wigan Casino were
under a supermarket car park.
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| Read
an interview with Mick
Martin - writer of 'Once Upon
A Time in Wigan' |
But hey
- am I an anorak? No, I'm a northern soulie and proud of it!
Which is why I'm happy to endorse this particular product and say
- go and see it! This is how it was - is - and even if you never went
to Wigan - and I didn't - I was an east coast girl - yes folks there
were other places besides the Casino - this is a fabulous, delicious
slice of youth culture.
When an underground movement of young people identified with the passion
of black people singing about lost love in Detroit as they lived with
three day weeks, rising unemployment and a pop chart dominated by
soft rock and Abba!
The lead Eugene is a caricature of at least half a dozen people who
'evolved' through northern soul, his mate Danny - who actually taught
the cast of four how to dance - is a wonderful reminder of that guy
on the floor 'living' every word of every line, Maxine is the barbed
'Sad Girl' who suffers for love and Suzanne the frump in the duffle
- is it Twink from dinner ladies? - is the girl who never quite fitted
in but probably got the most from her experience.
The play touches on the politics but never quite creates the atmosphere
it might have done, the focus on the characters is so strong that
the true identity of northern - the music becomes a little lost.
There's no real mention of the collectors and djs who continue to
dominate the scene but that's a small aside for an evening of truly
nostalgic romantic entertainment. Don't go expecting to learn anything
- you won't - but do go ready to singalong with all your favourite
tunes.
There were better venues than the Casino and there's been better music
played since it closed but Wigan is synonymous with northern and to
feel a little bit of what it was all about - see this production.
The lead character Eugene opens the play by asking "Did it really
happen?" and yes Eugene I'm glad to say it did. Debbie
Troops
Once
Upon a Time in Wigan celebrates a unique phenomenon: the legendary
Wigan Casino Northern Soul all-nighters, from it’s birth in 1973 until
its demise in 1981.
The play centres around four characters; Eugene, full of life and
new to the scene, Maxine, a regular dancer at the Casino and Eugene’s
dream girl, Danny, the veteran dancer/record collector and Suzanne
who yearns for romance in her life.
As the story unfolds the audience is treated to a hugely entertaining
and enjoyable excursion through nostalgia, dance, love and most importantly
a soundtrack encapsulating the very best sounds played on the Northern
Soul scene.
Written by Mick Martin and directed by Paul Sadat this play is witty,
accurate and extremely interesting. With its backdrop of old Casino
footage the Contact Theatre is transformed, for the evening, to the
dance floor of the "Heart of Soul". I certainly enjoyed the excellent
performances by the four members of the cast, the authentic dancing
was stunning to watch, the fashion, well yes I really did dress like
that.
Overall, at the end of the night, like so many others there, I sang
along to the music and found it hard to stop myself sliding onto the
stage to dance along to the final track, namely Frank Wilson’s Do
I Love You (indeed I do).
Mick Martin we do love you and your story, you have certainly Kept
the Faith. Terry Hallows
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