A Manchester Anthem

Cloudburst Productions - Riverside Studios

This one-man show will walk you through a chaotic night out. It has comedy, energy, and unexpected emotion. Tom Claxton is an energetic actor!

Do you remember when you left your hometown to go to university? Feeling ready to start a fresh chapter, but nervous to leave behind those you love and your past. This show explores the avenues your mind goes down when you are preparing to leave. The audience is taken on a 60-minute journey that has a lot more depth than you expect.

It's the night before Tommy goes to university, and he's going to Oxford University... It's a big deal. Where are those he wants to share it with the most? How else do you spend your last night in your hometown than going on a night out with some school friends who are also off to Oxford? Our main character comes from a working-class background, and those he's off to Oxford with are perhaps not from the same background. From a crazy house party to the local nightclub, regrets, ghosts from the past, and then having to walk home as the sun rises. What a night! Tom Claxton plays the young Tommy, and he switches from character to character in the piece. Safe to say this actor is very fast on his feet.

Claxton puts an abundance of energy into his character; there is a lot of story to get through in 60 minutes. He embodies Tommy's character. You feel like you're being taken along with Tommy, and in a way, it's like the audience is a support for his character, because it's clear that he has absent loved ones and feels lonely. The way he talks to the audience is as though he wants a response. This is a clever tactic used by Claxton. In terms of speed, it feels a little rushed at times, especially at the start. The audience needs to take in the context of the piece, and the start is a crucial part of the piece for the audience to establish a relationship with the character and build a connection. As the pace is fast, it's difficult to get a proper connection, whilst his character is excited and dealing with many emotions; it would benefit from a variation of speeds in moments. This would help the audience to process the character's feelings with him. However, the way that Tom Claxton tackles the emotive ending and the hurdles in the story are very moving and heartfelt. It's the first time my fiancé has ever stood up to applaud at the end of a show unprompted.

Boxes fill the stage, a huge tower of them. This is a simple but effective image that establishes the feeling of starting a new chapter. They are turned to reveal road signs, props and images to display a setting/environment. Lighting is also used to complement the set in establishing a setting, such as a variety of coloured lights to create the nightclub atmosphere. Minimalistic, but it works well for the story. It does seem like an easy choice to show the idea of moving, and they could be used more during his moments in his room or at the end to explore his background a little more, to help strengthen the relationship with the audience, just for moments where the character talks about his memories. This would show the importance of what the boxes hold, rather than them just being there.

This show is short and sweet. It goes from lightly comic to hard-hitting and emotional very quickly. The way the actor tackles this is great. An energetic one-man show, some great tunes and a relatable story that explores some interesting themes. It was lovely to watch the mums in the audience react to moments in the show that resonated with them. Very descriptive writing; you feel like you can picture each moment and character as if you're actually seeing them. This show has much potential, and it will be interesting to see how it develops!