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Francesca Millican-Slater telling stories from the middle of the night:. Picture: Graeme Braidwood Stories to tell in the middle of the night
Birmingham Rep, Door
**** FRANCESCA Millican-Slater, a graduate of
the inaugural REP Foundry programme, is a writer and performer who tells
stories directly to you.
And with
Stories to tell in the middle of the night
that’s how it feels. There is warmth, intimacy and familiarity to
Francesca’s story telling that draws you in as if the story is just for
you. Francesca takes on the role of a late night DJ
and her ‘tracks’ (I counted ten stories) take you from dusk until dawn.
Each story is engaging in its own right. The stories share themes of
loneliness, highlighting our daily surface interactions and over the
course of the night become darker in content until, with the final story
as we approach the dawn, the protagonists’ desire to keep the world
turning leads delightfully to genuine human interaction. The set (designed by Claire Browne) is made up of
three simple wooden boxes which stand at desk height, each with a
microphone and each with compartments containing simple but effective
props which appear and disappear as Francesca moves the boxes across the
space to move us from story to story, returning to the DJ ‘booth’
between stories. The sound track (sound designer Ian Armstrong)
works with Francesca becoming a part of the stories, at times another
voice, and also as a backing track. Along with minimal, but effective,
lighting (lighting designer Simon Bond), the staging adds to the whole
atmosphere working with Francesca to engage the audience and tell each
story. Francesca’s skill as a playwright is as
impressive as her skill as a performer. There is a rhythm to the stories
and to her voice as she delivers them creating stories that are
recognisable, surprising and funny. Next time I can’t sleep I am sure it
is Francesca’s engaging stories that will be playing out in my mind from
noisy neighbours to pork pies, memories of teen discos and moon face. Stories to tell in the middle of the night,
written and performed by Francesca Millican-Slater runs until 18
February, don’t miss it. To 17-02-17 Helen Annetts 13-02-17 |
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