FADE – The Lowry

There is something beautiful and rather tribal in sibling relationships. Through good times and bad, the unconditional love and unity that conquers all ‘just because’ is difficult for us to explain, but a feeling many of us have for our brothers and sisters. The sibling relationship between Cassie and Rubin, following the death of their mother, forms the basis for Alice Christina-Corrigan’s one act play as the past and present collide. Exploring themes including mental health, death, grief, suggested parental abuse and suicide, this world premiere production of FADE is hard-hitting and extremely emotive.

Christina-Corrigan’s script was beautiful and raw in equal measure. It introduces two characters, at different stages of their lives, navigating their way through the hardships of both their child and adult lives. The use of two actors for each character gave great scope to depict their younger and older selves. For such a short play, it was incredible how much empathy we felt for the characters. This is testament to the writing, direction and acting of the piece.

Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder’s direction was artistic and the pace throughout undulated with flair to keep the audience’s attention, highlight key moments and build tension. I particularly enjoyed how the characters interacted with one another from both past and present, with all four practically on stage throughout. The use of props, such as the pizza and CD player, used in both the past and present, was very clever and blurred the lines beautifully between the shifting times.

The production boasted 4 superb actors on top of their game. Cassie and Rubin were played by Lauren-Nicole Mayes and Matthew Devlin, respectively. They brought great exuberance and innocence to their roles as children, maturing wonderfully into teens full of angst and ambition. I felt their connection and chemistry, particularly, was so believable they really could’ve been siblings. The scene where the pair rehearse what to say when questioned on their homelife was expertly executed and deeply emotional. The 2010 versions of Cassie and Rubin, played by Daneka Etchells and Steffan Race, brought grit and authenticity to their roles. The juxtaposition to their child versions highlighted the hardship the siblings continued to overcome. Race particularly conveyed credibly a man who, due to the various circumstances, had the world on his shoulders. This was heartrending to witness in comparison to the fun-loving, playful younger Rubin played by Devlin. The unwavering love Cassie had for her brother was woven effortless between past and present by Mayes and Etchells. Despite it taking a little artistic licence to see any kind of resemblance between the younger and older version of the characters, all four actors were integral to the success of the piece.

Overall, this production was thought-provoking, poignant and moving. When you come away from a theatre feeling something, it is a job well done. FADE deserves to be seen by a wider audience and I feel privileged to have witnessed the premiere in Salford tonight.

Reviewer: Paddy Darnell-Walsh

Reviewed: 5th April 2024

North West End UK Rating: