6 April and 8 April
Cleo (Evie Hargreaves) is stationed on a remote island with the British Antarctic Survey, doing conservation research, worrying about the birds disappearing and worrying about her little brother Noble and mum Fiona (Alexandra Mathie) many thousands of miles away, back home… And she has good reason to be worried about both.
On his fifteenth birthday, Noble (Paddy Stafford) doesn’t feel well. Later that night he transforms into a bird for the first time. He reluctantly seeks assistance and refuge from the new kid at school Ellis (a charming Ewan Grant) and their fledgling relationship is born.
We interviewed Billie Collins about writing Too Much World at Once recently, who spoke about developing the new play for Box of Tricks. Based in Manchester, celebrating Northern talent, Box of Tricks is an award-winning theatre company that brings people together to share stories collectively. You can find Billie’s interview here.
Billie talked about workshopping with actors to find the voices of, and flesh out, the four characters, and you can tell how much work has gone into that. In a play that centralises its climate crisis messaging and environmental concerns, no one feels like a mouthpiece nor does it feel like the play has only been written to ‘say something’. It says many things. There are layers here.
Each of the four actors does a great job. Stafford is a terrific lead, subtle and naturalistic, and the sweet, tentative bond between the boys is sold through his and Grant’s chemistry. Similarly, Mathie manages to imbue Fiona with a lived-in quality where you can imagine whole chapters offstage.
Some of the more ‘stagey’ parts could be done away with (the overlapping voices, the wings) – the narrative is strong enough without them. Shaving a few minutes from either act might also help; on the whole, pacing is successful, but each half’s climax does feel like it’s lacking a crescendo to lead into it.
Billie Collins’s Too Much World at Once is an odd little play; even if you have read about it beforehand, you won’t know what to expect. It’s a contemporary coming-of-age story, incredibly intimate but with an eye on the macrocosmic. The actors are sterling, you do feel as if you’re in the barn with them. Go and celebrate new talent.
★★★ Will Amott April 2023
Photo credit: Chris Payne
