Do I Love You? – Octagon Theatre

During the mid-1970’s a curious phenomenon was taking place in obscure nightclubs of northern Britain; in Cleethorpes and Blackpool and from Manchester to Wolverhampton young men and women were donning braces, tank tops and red star vests and gyrating all night to the melancholy lyrics and upbeat tempo of Soul music imported from the United States. This movement became known as Northern Soul and one of its disciples John Godber has taken it as the inspiration for this terrific piece of theatre, which examines the loss of community and identity in our post-Covid world, all to the soundtrack of some of the sweetest songs ever recorded.

The Mecca of this scene was undoubtedly Wigan Casino and fifty years later just eleven miles down the A58 the packed press night clearly has stalwarts from that venue in the audience with ‘Keep The Faith’ T-shirts ubiquitous and the odd greying feather cut still in evidence. It is a testament to the hold this music still has on its fans and served to create a warm and loving atmosphere in the auditorium as the young cast of three takes us on a journey of discovery into this arcane and melodic world.

Sally (Martha Godber), Kyle (Emilio Encinoso-Gil) and Natalie (Chloe McDonald) are modern Gen Z kids, twenty-somethings in that curious post-university/pre-career limbo, eking a living working in low-paid service economy jobs, optimistic for the future despite the crushing weight of debt, boredom and lack of opportunity in their post Covid landscape. They stumble across the Northern Soul scene by accident, witnessing men and women of pensionable age throwing shapes and spinning in the back room of a dingy pub in their hometown of Hull, leading them on a journey of discovery that reasserts their confidence and self-belief.

Godber’s writing is as sharp as a pair of peg-front trousers, his popularity as a performed playwright has been consistently high for over four decades and this 2023 offering sees him at the top of his game. Eschewing the opportunity merely to wallow in nostalgia, he utilises the music to illustrate the loss of community and identity in the modern ‘forgotten towns’ that formed the backbone of Northern Soul, our three young protagonists finding identity and camaraderie in the music, fashion and sheer brio that Northern Soul provides. The only noticeable flagging in the relentless energy comes in the rather static ‘love triangle’ between the three characters which is set up and then swiftly cast aside. Choreography by Sally Malloy is outstanding and judging by the nods of appreciation from this most discerning of audiences, the moves were authentically executed.

The three performances are terrific; Encinoso-Gil is comedy gold, especially when he morphs into ‘Keef’, an ageing Soul guru whose worldview is both compelling and crazy, whilst Godber gives Sally real emotional heft as a young girl coping with a dysfunctional family and a dying grandmother and also providing the most kick-ass dance conclusion to the piece. However, acting flowers go to McDonald, dryly funny as Nat and for a hilarious and poignant portrayal of Sally’s grandmother, lost in a reverie of 1970’s sex, music and lost opportunity.

Overall, a superb evening that left me searching Spotify for Frank Wilson, Gloria Jones and Edwin Starr in the car on the way home. ‘Do I Love You? Indeed I Do!!

Reviewer: Jimmy Radcliffe

Reviewed: 11th March 2025

North West End UK Rating: