Sunrise for the Blind by Lee Thomas doesn’t shy away from the mood of the material. On the Camden Fringe website, it’s described as a “raw, naturalistic portrayal of life in a bleak North Manchester town centre”. Many might give such a prospect a sharp swerve. One friend said to me, “I’m sorry, but I can’t face any more bleakness right now.”
It’s a valid sentiment in the current climate, so I was shocked, but buzzed to see busy pews for a 4pm matinee. While some of Grey Brigade were out in force, it was cheering to see a surprisingly young audience lapping up new writing in a fringe theatre.
As someone who once squatted in a derelict Hulme council estate in 1990, I regard Manchester as my second home. And as for bleakness, I’m drawn to it like a junkie to a meth pipe. The author Lee Lomas hails from Manchester, has a side line in UK rap and plays Nathan, a geezer with few redeeming qualities. The show boasts a strong ensemble cast of 6 actors and Lomas does a top turn as the scally with no prospects. He’s an excellent writer too. There is a bold economy and a grim authenticity to the dialogue. The chat mostly revolves around cigarettes, pasties and local gossip. World events don’t seem to penetrate the concrete square where the play is set. Everyone is just scratching their way through life, bitching and smoking.
Hannah Breedon plays Ashley, a feisty young woman who works in a bakery and ends up dating Nathan (Lee Lomas). It’s a spellbinding performance. Ashley’s smarter than she looks and seems like the only responsible one at home. Breedon captures the sharp rage which lies beneath, usually prompted by a member of her demanding family or ‘banter’ with the boyfriend. Her parents are San (Sonja Doubleday) and ‘Johnny The Bastard’ (Lawrence Carmichael). Each scene with either San or Johnny gives another window onto the family’s dysfunction, past and present. It’s a credit to the author that the family’s history arrives in oblique snippets, usually via conflict. There are no monologues to serve exposition or backstory. The short scenes and sometimes circular, choppy, dialogue felt rooted in real conversations. Chats are often sweary, mundane and repetitive, but slyly revealing.
Marcus Hodson plays Mark, Nathan’s best mate who works in a local shop owned by Leena (Tanu Ravi). Mark isn’t averse to the casual misogyny that comes with being one of the lads, but Hodson’s performance gives us glimpses of heart and moments of hope. Hollie Burgess is excellent at Becci, Ashley’s younger teenage sister. The character is referred to as ‘Becci the Bike’ in an opening sequence with Marcus and Nathan who chat about her apparent promiscuity and STIs with gusto and disgust. The audience eventually learn that Becci is the victim of unjust gossip and a chaotic home life.
Sonia Doubleday is horribly compelling as San, Becci and Ashley’s mother. The performance felt so real, it was hard not to physically shrink from her ignorant quips and narcissistic outbursts. As the play’s action escalates, Doubleday fully commits to the ugliness of her character, which is both entertaining and uncomfortable to witness.
Direction by Andrew Darren Elkins kept the pace clipping along. Performed in the round, with no set to speak of, Elkins made that leap of imagination feel natural, pleasingly tense and consistently engaging. The physical altercation which comes towards the end of the play was tightly choreographed. It felt quick, bracing and brutal.
Sunrise For the Blind doesn’t offer any easy answers. There aren’t any heroes and nobody’s winning at anything. When the cast returned for a curtain call, the actors Tani Ravi and Lawrence Carmichael greeted each other with a heartfelt hug. After watching Carmichael spew racist abuse at Ravi in the play, that post-show gesture was incredibly moving. I needed it. It was a real-life reminder that despite the fact that this country can feel like a toxic bonfire, small acts of love go a long way, even if we’re choking on the smoke.
Sunrise for the Blind was at The Cockpit, The Cockpit
Reviewer: Stewart Who?
Reviewed: 1st September 2026
North West End UK Rating: