“Interesting and fun but lightweight”
‘Gods of Salford’ begins before it really begins, with various cast members (25 young people from across the city) handing wheelbarrows and traffic cones to audience members to look after as they set up the stage ahead of the ‘official’ opening scene. Ironically, this is one of the exceptions to the general rule that the play is at its best when it forgets there’s an audience or when it’s more demanding of them, because of its experimental playfulness.
A recreation of John Cooper Clarke’s ‘Chickentown’ falls flat, probably inevitable for anyone that isn’t Clarke, and having one character remind the audience how good ‘Dirty Old Town’ is while another is in the middle of singing it is a totally unnecessary waste of the faith placed in the audience that they will recognise the references being made to Salfordian history and the Ancient Greek myths being retold.
The play is often funny, with the best comedic moments coming when a member of the audience is asked to compete in a musical contest organised by the gods and in the various insults exchanged by the characters.
Gods of Salford is energetic and never boring, though the interludes, delivered in monologues, provide a curious and interesting change of pace, as well as roooting the play in its Salfordian background, in contrast to the exaggerated game-show world of the rest of the play. Jen McGinley’s set design works very well for similar reasons, grounding the play’s fantastic elements by juxtaposing them against the modern setting, through a simple construction of fences and scaffolding around the back of the Quays Theatre’s thrust stage.
But ‘Gods of Salford’ doesn’t go far enough in exploring the exploitation of the working classes it aims to centre the perspective of, or in questioning the status quo. While characters bend the rules and wording of prophecies or tasks given to them by the gods, they always remain subordinate to the gods, a decision made more questionable by the audience repeatedly being shown Zeus’s misogyny- and the arguing between Zeus and Hera, each standing among the audience, is good, tense stuff! Despite a couple of moments where the play does seem interested in challenging the system trapping its characters, it never really takes those ideas anywhere.
However, the play has clearly been very well-researched. The reference to ‘Nobody’ and the story of Odysseus is a particularly effective use of the Greek mythology, with ‘Gods of Salford’ using it to anchor the central metaphor of the characters being controlled by the gods, losing their freedom and control of their lives.
The character of Hermes is split between two actors, arguing on stage, but there’s just no reason for it, especially when the character of Janus could have been replaced with another figure from Greek mythology. Zeus’s callous smiting effectively establishes the pettiness and cruelty of the gods from the beginning of the play, but it’s a shame it isn’t shown more. The Minotaur is similarly under-utilised- it feels like more could have been made of its duel with Emily Lynch’s Thee, especially as her performance is a striking highlight.
‘Gods of Salford’ is always entertaining and often witty. Dean Fairhurst and Kieran Lucas’ composition, and Lucas’ sound design, is very effective, both the soaring score and the songs- especially the final, moving number. Making the Fates a glamorous pop trio is innovative and very successful. If only the whole play was as experimental as decisions like that, or as the opening. ‘Gods of Salford’ just isn’t as radical as it clearly wants to be, given its almost-Brechtian use of techniques like placards, turning on the house lights, and direct address- it’s very rare that the play has a fourth wall.
Asking the audience to stand and dance at the end, therefore, feels somewhat unearned, a cheap way of getting a standing ovation for something I kept wishing would go further, despite enjoying it.
I found the rendition of ‘Chicken Town’ to be quite remarkable. The actor’s delivery possessed a visceral quality, conveying such profound conviction that one was almost persuaded of their genuine experience within that milieu.
It is conceivable that any perceived lack of resonance on the part of some might stem from the adaptation’s sanitization, as you astutely observed. Certain raw edges, when smoothed, can indeed diminish the overall impact.
Furthermore, one must acknowledge the commendable efforts of the young performers, particularly given their reportedly challenging backgrounds and nascent experience in the dramatic arts. Their ability to evoke such emotion under these circumstances is a testament to their latent talent and the dedication of those guiding them.
I’d agree with that, and I’d add that the reason I like Chickentown (the original) is because of those raw edges, so definitely no offence meant to the performers, who I thought were really good, especially Lynch!