Calling all StageSider’s, witches, devils and academics… gather round the karaoke mic as the review of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart is about to begin!
About the show!
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart is a tale that blends folklore, demonic academic study, comedy and romance together for a night of entertainment and spectacle. Described as “A devilish offering from award-winning writer David Greig, THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART is a wild musical play that sees Scottish folk songs collide with decadent karaoke under the direction of Debbie Hannan. Oozing with wit, passion, seduction and sambucas, this show is a riotous mix of rhyming couplets, live music and a glimpse of the underworld.
It’s the winter solstice and lover of old things and traditional ways, Prudencia Hart, fresh from her PhD, is conference bound. In a hot stuffy hall on the borders, she shares her theories on Hell in folk literature. But, as the snow falls thick and fast the small-town flings off its folk traditions, dumps Robert Burns for a bit of Kylie, and grabs the karaoke mic with both hands. The night gets increasingly raucous and it’s astonishing what Prudencia will discover between the snow and the vodka shots – not least, what she finds out about herself” (Royal Exchange Theatre, 2021).
The piece takes the audience to hell and back, in the most unliteral literal way. With some amazing costuming, some intense special effects and some scenographic moments that had me in awe, this theatrical presentation of Hell is both comforting and intimidating. Which is perfect for this piece.
The Cast!
Joanne Thompson takes on the title role, as Prudencia Hart. Thompson brings a perfectly annoying academic complexity to the piece which is balanced out by the other players on stage. Appearing to be connected to the role, or at least acting that way, Thompson gave an unbelievable performance. Thompson had me hooked from the moment I took my seat to the moment I left.
Likewise Paul Tinto, who plays the devil, had me hooked throughout. Not only for the dynamic nature of their character work, but also for the intensity and depth that Tinto brought to the cast. Those moments where you think, oh that’s why …, were happening frequently throughout the piece. Tinto seemed to cover up his hoofprints well and left nothing for the audience to see, if it wasn’t meant to be seen. Even swinging on a swing seemed choreographed to each tiny detail. Ridiculous levels of talent coming from these two performers.
A stand out star!
However, a special shout out needs to go to one cast member in particular. This cast member really stood out and had me shocked, scared, laughing and confused. Oliver Wellington was completely ridiculous. The talent, skill and energy that Willington brought to the stage was unbelievable. Playing many characters, all with complete conviction and an equal amount of effort, Wellington embodied a harpy hen night, a romantic love interest and a demon slaying comedian.
Amazing show, amazing venue!
Presented at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, this theatrical presentation of a rather ‘Strange’ story is housed perfectly in a rather strange venue. Meaning that in the best way, the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester is really one of a kind. The two unique experiences blend together to create a perfectly balanced spectacle that relies not on the wow factor of its set and effects, but the detail and complexities of the narrative it provides its audience.
Now for the rating!
Entertainment
(Did the show give me what I paid for, did I cry? Could I dance along? Did I want to sing … but didn’t because etiquette)
I went into this show not knowing a single thing about it. I didn’t know what the show was about, I didn’t know the theatre company or the cast, I didn’t know the venue or where it was. So I think it is fair to say that anything this show gave me would have been above and beyond my expectations, and would have been what I paid for. Would I see this show again now I know what it is about?….
Of course! This show is just ridiculous. With some amazing sets, costumes, characters and plot points, this is everything I want from a theatrical experience, and then some.
It has to be a perfect score for this show, a full five out of five stars.
Value for money
(Was the cost of the ticket reflected on stage? Was the price fair? )
As a spring chicken, I got a £7 ticket for this show, in the second gallery. This is part of their under 30’s scheme that they offer. This show was worth way more than £7 and I think it is brilliant that they are making theatre this accessible (financially). I would have paid £7 to see this show again, and frequently pay this price point to see student scratch theatre. Not that this is a comparison, but I do bear these things in mind when I book tickets.
For value for money, for my ticket, it has to be a full score of five out of five stars again. Do I think the full price tickets were worth it? I would have paid for a closer seat, but I think for the seat I had I wouldn’t have gone higher than £15 (which is less than the full price cost). So I am giving them five stars for the price I paid and the seats I was in. (second gallery a4)
Accessibility
(What was the show like in terms of noise levels, sensitivity issues, topics mentioned within. This will not talk about stair access and things that are dependent on the theatre venue itself. That will go into a separate post)
This show did have some issues regarding accessibility. The majority of the show was ok, but there were some moments that were not fit for those with sensory issues. Loud sudden noises, long periods of loud noise, flashing lights and intense scenes were present throughout. However I found these ok, I had to block my ears once, but I think I am particularly sensitive to sudden noises so I think this may just be me. I will give the show 4 out of 5 stars as for the majority of the show it is access friendly and the bit that wasn’t was probably because it was one of my sensitive days. The show also does have a relaxed performance on the 8th of January, but as this is not the date I attended, I can only review the show I saw.
The overall rating?!
Overall I have to give this show a full rating of five out of five stars. Although I gave them four stars for their accessibility, they do have accessible shows ( including captioned, signed, relaxed and audio described.) As far as I am aware, the show that is done outside of those dates is still amazing, I just jumped is all. So I happily give this production a full five out of five stars!
Have your say!
Have you seen The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart? What did you think? Are you wanting to return to Hell, or do you want to swing your way out of it? Let me know in the comments and let’s get a discussion going.
As always, please be respectful of each other’s opinions and be kind to each other. I completely respect and value everyone that worked on this show. We need to remember that these are people with feelings. Let’s treat them with respect. Bullying will not be tolerated and harmful language will be removed.
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