Growth

Growth a play staged by the Performing Arts Students of St John Rigby College, Gathurst Road, Orrell, Wigan on Tuesday, 7th June, 2022.

Luke Norris’s play ‘Growth’ was first produced by ‘Paines Plough’ in their pop-up theatre, Roundabout at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe, where it won a Fringe First Award.  It subsequently toured the UK. (An earlier version of the play being seen at the Gate Theatre, London.)  The story centres on Tobes, a young man who is ‘free’ and having a ball! Tobes successfully ignores his lump for two years but it's now starting to get in the way – cramping his style and worse, affecting his sex life! So, now there are pants to be dropped and decisions to be made... it's a real ball ache! This is a painful comedy about ‘growing up’ and ‘manning up’!  The inspiration for the story came from a friend of Norris’s, but that's where the similarity ends!  The friend discovered a lump, went to the doctor immediately and is now totally fine.  It was a turning point for that friend, who is a Christian, the experience gave him a new perspective on his faith; he joined a men’s group from which he made many news friends who he can now talk openly with! 

Wow, it was so great to be back at St John Rigby College!  The last production I saw there was on the 5th February 2020 when the College produced a musical revue… ‘Together in Music’ which included students from the college and pupils from several schools in the Wigan and West Lancashire area. Having said that, I did have the privilege and pleasure of attending the college on the 4th November last year to watch a rehearsal for ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ which the students were hoping to stage later that month, unfortunately, due to ‘you know what’… that production had to be cancelled!  

But they are back and what a return!  Can I start this review by congratulating Sophie Ward (Director), directing her first production here at the college, the students and everyone else, who, in just seven weeks, had taken this production from ‘script to stage’!  I am told that the students, Sophie and many others gave up so much of their own free time (evenings, weekends and even half term) to ensure this play was ready and fit for stage! Well done one and all, an amazing job… without doubt, that additional effort and hard work paid off and you should all be so proud of what you achieved!  

The production included eighteen cast members, sixteen scenes, each scene depicting part of Tobes’s journey and the people he met along the way (some he knew/some he didn’t)!

‘TOBES’ our lead role was a ‘shared role’ between Declan Murphy/Corban Bewley … both of whom played the part really well and created believable characters.  Scene 1: Amy Aldred played the part of ‘Beth’, Tobes’s girlfriend, who, after a two-year ‘boring’ relationship, is about to ‘dump’ him!  Great opening scene which set the tone for the entire play.  Scene 2:  Adam Holcroft played Tobes’s boss at a Garden Centre, who tells Tobes to ‘Man up’ and then fires him!   Scene 3: Tiegan Calderbank played ‘Ellie’, who as a one-night stand with Tobes and is the one who asks Tobes about his ‘lump’!  For me this was the ‘stand out’ scene / performance of the evening!  So very natural, totally believable, did not looked staged or scripted at all, well done, be proud!   Scene 4: Harry Morris played the part of ‘Joff’, a long-time suffering friend of Tobes, who Tobes asks to ‘feel his balls’. Scene 5: Ellie Owen took on the roll of ‘Lily’… the GP who Tobes sees about his ‘problem’ and who Tobes starts to ‘chat up’… good scene/acted well… again believable!  Scene 6: Alex Glascott played the role of ‘Julian’, a medical consultant who Tobes is referred to. These two do not see eye to eye and the Consultant isn’t as focused as usual because ‘his dog died this morning’ which he tells Tobes!  Scene 7: Caitlin Haselden played ‘Lise’, Tobes sister!  Another great scene, loved the interaction and the banter between them both… again so ‘real’ … ‘You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out’!  Scene 8: Rachel Heffron played ‘Justine’ a Travel Agent… whose company policy is ‘NO REFUNDS’… which Tobes has issues with, but which she is a stickler for!’  Scene 9: Natalie Durkin took on the role of ‘Bess’ an employee at a ‘sperm bank’.  A totally believable, funny scene… the exchanges between Bess and Tobes had ‘spot on’ comic timing… loved it!  Scene 10: Oliver Tomlinson played ‘Jack’… Tobes brother.  Sat in waiting room pre operation… another funny scene with some great ‘one-liners’!   Scene 11: The Operation… an important scene!  Loved the movement involving all the characters and their one word or one-line references that they’d previously thrown at Tobes!  Meaningful, well-choreographed…  another scene that just worked…  Scene 12: Matthew Whittle took on the role of Billie, Tobes’s roommate who is worried about the rent situation and discusses it with Tobes.   Scene 13: Charlie Saunders played ‘Jemaine’ … the new boyfriend of Tobes’s ex-girlfriend ‘Beth’!  Tobes calls to speak with Beth… Jemaine is not keen!  Scene 14:  Lauren Unsworth took on the role of ‘Liza’… the pregnant girlfriend of Joff, the friend who Tobes asks to ‘feel his balls’.  Another great scene... totally believable, emotional, again another scene that didn’t looked staged at all!  Scene 15: a scene I have called the 5 CHAIR SWAP!  The scene opens with Tobes and Tom Bentley who played the part of ‘Jamie’, who Tobes meets at his first Counselling Session! There are five set chairs in this scene, two are filled by Tobes and Jamie. Tobes and Jamie discuss their situations.  Great interaction, great chemistry, totally believable!  They are joined by three others (Charlie Saunders, Adam Holcroft and Oliver Tomlinson) who sit on the three empty chairs!  Nothing is said, but all five start to interweave and sit on different chairs… ‘what’s going on and what’s being said’ is left to your imagination… which I thought was absolutely RIGHT!   So, what was being said/what does all this mean?  My interpretation, not sure if its right, probably different to everybody else… but I think Tobes is listening to five stories and the movement between the chairs suggests that Tobes is putting himself in the ‘shoes’ of the others and realising that his situation is far less dire than many, if any!   My mind then starts to run riot when I see Jamie leave… did Jamie die from his problems?  Great theatre… afforded the audience the chance to think and make their own minds of what was being said and what was happening… I’m still thinking whilst typing this… am I right… is there a right answer?  Absolutely loved it!  Scene 16:  Catherine Fairhurst plays ‘Izzy’ who Tobes meets on a beach, but they’ve met before! Tobes is taking the holiday, ‘with his mum’, the holiday he couldn’t get his money re-funded from!  Another great scene and another ‘great one liner’ from Izzy…. ‘No one cares about the balls, their just ‘backing singers’… Tobes thinks there’s a ‘spark’ until ‘Joel’ arrives, Izzy’s boyfriend’ played by Jack Elder or is there!  And there you have it in a ‘nutshell’… ‘GROWTH’!

Staging… minimal… totally black draped stage… 5 chairs and two small low platforms! Worked superbly well and again, allowed the audience the freedom to imagine the rest!

Lighting/Sound were great as usual… under the watchful eye, as always, of Joshua Duffy and Mark Lane.  Well done guys another great job! 

You cannot come to a St John Rigby College production without being welcomed and looked after by David Wall (Head of the Schools Performing Arts Department) and his family!  Thank you, David, for inviting my wife and I, and for allowing me to speak with the Cast and Sophie after the production. It is always a pleasure and a privilege to visit the college and even more of a pleasure and a privilege to see these young people back doing what they do best… Congrats to one and all, great show… hope to see you again very soon!

Stay safe and keep well…

Jim Briscoe
NODA NW
District 6 Rep

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