A Clockwork Orange - Review by Jason Patel | British Youth Music Theatre

A Clockwork Orange - Review by Jason Patel

**** (4 Stars)

The Lowry, Manchester - 21 October, 2013

What can I say? I was blown away by the performance I received on the opening night of A Clockwork Orange at The Lowry, Manchester. Directed by Alexandra Spencer-Jones, her clever ideas on her fascination with how the male species behave are incredible and this is clearly shown in her intention of using an all-male cast. We follow the journey of 15-year-old Alex played by Adam Search, who enjoys violence, rape, drugs, and Beethoven’s 9th symphony. He and his gangs of droogs cause rampage on the streets and eventually Alex is locked and is the experimental animal of Dr. Brodsky who is testing his treatment to get rid of Alex’s feelings of violence.

The piece of theatre explores many genres of music to create an intense atmosphere to engage the audience throughout the performance. The use of a minimalistic set and props interestingly works, as his performance uses a lot of dance and movement to produce the action, and the use of orange, blue and white spotlights is excellent.

Jones has male actors playing female parts, which adds a new dimension of sexuality and humour, which lightens up the piece when contrasting to the serious issues concerned with the piece which relate to the present day. The cast has a fantastic passion, buzz and vibe and audience interaction, which is definitely noticed. It is a highly stylized piece of physical theatre that is a rollercoaster for the audience, making them experience a range of emotions. I felt uneasy but intrigued when they were exploring issues of rape and violence. The piece is dramatic and there are moments where I wanted to experience more feeling and emotion. However this does not affect the piece, which is astonishing overall and I would recommend anyone who gets the chance to see it, to go!

All the elements of the piece fuse together really well and work smoothly, just like the transitions between each scene. The detail and articulation into everything has made my final conclusion a very clear one, and this is why I walked out the theatre with a smile on my face. To sum the piece up in three words it would be: dynamic, stunning, and breathtaking.

The Clockwork Orange is showing at The Lowry, Manchester until Saturday 26 October 2013 (suitable for ages 16+). Tickets available here: http://www.thelowry.com/event/a-clockwork-orange

 

A Clockwork Orange