Bees framing a friendship

the honey man

Tyrone Huggins, The Honey Man, with Misty played by Beatrice Allen. Picture: Robert Day

The Honey Man

Birmingham Rep Door

****

THE Honey Man from writer and performer Tyrone Huggins, the co-founder of Impact Theatre Co-operative, is a show brimming with education, history and the deep story of an unlikely friendship.

The production is a comment on the understanding between opposing generations and culture and is a response to the effects of modern day technology.

It is clear to see that Huggins has a voice for the importance of nature. The Honey Man was born In a personal playwriting project where he explored how the digital world impacts our lives today.

As an old West Indian bee keeper living in a shed within the shadows of a grand manor house in the English countryside, we see The Honey Man’s eccentric, but happy lifestyle. He forms an important friendship with young and free Misty, born into gentry and the daughter of the lord of the estate, totally unamused by the natural world.

Huggins feeds his views of technology of the modern day throughout the whole performance. With excellent design from Timothy Bird, a beautiful display of imagery through projection helps us to engage with Huggins’ vision and listen to the story of each generation from both sides.

The script is lengthy with an interval. At first this gave an inquisitive feel as to how the relationship between Honey Man and Misty would unfold. As the show goes on, we see the connection between the two transform from a complete misunderstanding of generation and culture to characters who are in need of each other and their connection becomes deeper than either would have guessed. The audience see how close the pair become with brilliant direction from Emma Bernard.

The story is driven by the two performers only. Tyrone Huggins is passionate for what he wants to say and delivers his role accordingly. Through Huggins, we are educated on nature’s wondrous and powerful natural ways, whilst being transfixed into an engaging tale made from his own mind. Not to mention, a humorous and loveable character.

Misty is played by Beatrice Allen, although there were some stumbles throughout her portrayal, it remained relatively strong. She gave the troubled teenager a depth that allowed us to see her journey through stubbornly thinking of always being right, to learning from Honey Man and eventually seeing eye to eye.

In today’s modern world, it is easy for us all to get lost in the confines of our own busy lives, riddled with technology and overruled with all things digital. Huggins teaches us to listen to the world around us and ‘do good things’. Huggins presents the view that history, culture and nature are happening now, and it is only us as humans who have the power to protect it in order to live in harmony. To 21-02-15

Elizabeth Halpin

18-02-15 

 

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