A show injected with joy and life at the heart of Sunderland
Public Record was a powerful and exciting performance which symbolised the importance of community, unity and roots. It was a play which brought to life the joys of living in Sunderland and the feeling of togetherness within a community.
The play Public Record, which was held at the Fire Station in Sunderland, was performed on a thrust stage which allowed inclusion of the audience and elevated the play’s intention of bringing community together. The lighting also created an immersive atmosphere for the audience with its use of different colours and optical pulses, enhancing the story and bringing the emotions of the characters to life.
The performance was so moving in many different ways, including a beautiful tribute with a song to accompany 4 young female singers who moved me to tears with their powerful and evocative presentation.
A statement that caught my eye in the programme for this performance, which they say is said to the company at the start of reversals is: “we hope you bring what you have, give what you can and take what you need”. (Emily Lim, Dan Canham, Ross Millard and Stewart Pringle). This was certainly demonstrated throughout the performance as people from all different ages and abilities each brought something different to the table which created an authentic and enjoyable production.
A stand out performer for me was Rosie Macari, one of the professional dancers who joined the show. She had such technical talent but also brought a variety of emotions and life to the performance which allowed the play to stem from one part to the next. Her movements personified the different sounds which were being created across the show.
Another star performer was a young boy called Momo as he was referred to in the play. He had such life and character about him which demonstrated the intentions of the performance wonderfully! He was confident and happy, clearly absolutely loving what he was doing which caused an infectious smile which rippled through the whole audience.
The cast was made up of just under 100 people who at points were all on the stage together. I loved this and it demonstrated the unity of the cast and the importance of bringing together a whole eclectic range of different people, all from varying backgrounds and creating something so special.
This is a must-see performance which takes you on a journey of the lives lived in Sunderland accompanied by incredible music injected with passion, happiness and truth!
Review by Katie-Lou Friend