Louise Wallwein

As Ralph is often wont to say...it's not always about the music, so when a chance to catch Glue the performance by Manchester poet and playwright Louise Wallwien arose it was time for a road-trip. Glue is a one-woman show mixing monologue, live art and sound score, telling the true story of her first two meetings with her birth mother, three decades after being put up for adoption. The audience is invited to share a very private first reunion, but also the subsequent more public second meeting.

The mixture of humour, poignancy and raw emotion on display from Louise Wallwein in Glue is palpable. Partly due to the superlative soundscape created by Jaydev Mistry and partly due to Louise engaging her audience head-on with this tale of her growing up in care from the age of nine. Her description of the ensuing years has its highs and lows emotionally and you're skillfully drawn down the fascinating path of her life through her engaging storytelling ability.

Glue is on for one more night (Wednesday 11th May) in Space 1, part of the Contact Theatre in Manchester. 

Make your way there and allow Louise Wallwein to introduce you to her Mum, Big Denise from Salford, do a bit of go-go dancing and; via the power of her wimple, meet the indomitable Sister Philomena. 

With this production Louise is "having it large" and it's one not to be missed.

Take Back Theatre

As Ralph has often been wont to say - "It's not just about the music." - So when a visit to Gullivers in Manchester was on the agenda, it wasn't for the sell-out Slow Readers Club gig on Saturday, but the (nearly sold-out) Take Back Theatre performance of Ten Takes On Hope on the Monday after.

The theatre company was created earlier this year as a response to the Tory Party Conference in Manchester and aims to produce quarterly script-in-hand performances and use theatre to make a positive change.



The evening was produced and coordinated by Grant Archer, Julie Hesmondhalgh and Becx Harrison with a view to exploring social issues and creating a springboard for debate with the audience, starting small conversations which ask big questions.

The audience was invited by Take Back Theatre to join the cast and writers in the bar after the show to achieve that very thing.



This was achieved ten-fold with some stellar script writing and performances which challenged not only what hope is, but what we can do to give hope. 

The informal setting and script-in-hand nature of the evening somehow made the stories being told all the more poignant, dramatic or added to the humour of each individual piece.





Each vignette; written by professional writers, was inspired by A Summer Of Hope and each used different themes or personal stories very evocatively to engage the audience members. 

Whether it was the humour artfully deployed in Fish (Jennifer Platt), The Hope Factor (Rebekah Harrison), Words On A Wing (Joshua Val Martin), Rock, Paper Scissors (Ian Kershaw) or Cut and Dried (Cathy Crabb), the poignancy of All Names Have Been Changed (Victoria Brazier), Marching On Stone (Gareth George) The Shoes (Louise Wallwein) and Born (Julie Hesmondhalgh) or the outstanding drama of Detention (Sandra Cole), each delivered the same thought-provoking message in its own style.

It's probably wrong to pick out individual performances however, special mentions do go to Luke Bailey, Jo Dankin and Rico Marshall.




The next event will be Take Back: Capital and will be in response to the budget and going on tonight's performance and the quality of writing and acting on display it'll be one not to be missed!

Jimmy Blue

Given his recent Crowd Funding success it's no surprise that Ralph's attention was caught by Jimmy Blue, a Kickstarter project that's based in Liverpool and features the music of one of his favourite Scottish bands, del Amitri. As with all good Kickstarter projects it gives people the chance to be involved by pledging for rewards.







Written by Dave Ross, Jimmy Blue is the story of a young man, his dreams, his band, his girl, his baby, his demons and his downfall. With a script that is honest and real and songs that lift the spirits with heart rending lyrics and simple melody to produce a play with music that fits, no shoehorn required. 





Jimmy Blue will appeal to fans of del Amitri who want to hear familiar songs used in a completely new context. Also to those who enjoy new, exciting, projects that try and break free from the pomp and ceremony of most music based theatre.  With rewards that include mounted copies of the programme by Justin Currie and tickets to the performances it's a del Amitri fans dream.


In the words of Justin Currie...

"I'm incredibly curious about this project and as a result have pawned all my mother's jewellery to lend a hand with the crowd funding. It's just a shame she always shops at Claire's Accessories. Please help!" - Justin Currie

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This project will only be funded if at least£3,000 is pledged by Sunday Feb 16, 4:25pm EST.

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Dave Ross

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  This is open to anyone who wishes to sponsor the project. For £500 your name will appear on all printed and online media as a corporate supporter of Jimmy Blue. You will also receive a framed, mounted programme signed by Justin Currie. 2 people will also be allowed full access to a dress run. Follow our Facebook and Twitter pages where we will name check all pledges. Please note the performances will take place in Liverpool, England
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