Review: Tenner Bag, The Hope Theatre

When Becky (writer Francesca Bolam) returns home for a funeral, it’s clear how much she has changed. It’s also obvious that her home and family haven’t, and being back at home with her family soon means she is immersed in all that made her want to leave in the first place. 

It’s a fast-paced story as we whizz through scenes. From Becky’s return home, and conversations with mum, dad (a delightful double act of Gerry Johnson and Dominic McGrath) and of course brother Simon, Finn Samuels. Away from the family home, we then get to see Simon’s activities, running his small drug empire, clearly a big fish in a small pond and scared of the sharks that are always circling. Then there are his interactions with his former boxing coach, a very convincing Bryan Lawrence, possibly the one voice of reason he is willing to listen to.

Bolam’s script sizzles with northern sass and wit, giving a realistic portrayal of a family who, according to Simon, live just far enough away from the estate to think themselves middle class. In fact, above all else, Bolam’s script is about family and wanting a better life for your children. Elsewhere, there are clever little nods to how Becky has changed since leaving; “Do you have any oat milk?” she asks early on when mum asks what all mum’s ask when you go home, “who wants tea?”. Becky’s new, idealistic view of life is clearly at odds with her family, especially Simon, who is still making a living illegally. Some of the best lines come when brother and sister spar over her disapproval; “Do you think you get to make choices around here?” he throws at her when she presses him on why he still does it.  

The nature of fringe theatre, and even more so the Camden Fringe, means it’s rare to see a larger cast. As well as the monetary issues of paying them all, there are more practical problems of fitting a larger cast onto some of the smaller stages, and whilst The Hope Theatre is certainly not the smallest, it is still a tight thrust space with the seating imposing on all sides. Yet director Finella Waddilove does wonders with manoeuvring her seven-strong cast around without tripping over one another, or the audience! It’s impressive how she manages to fit a boxing match in alongside the sofa and coffee table that are present throughout to represent the family home. She also manages the comings and goings well, again, never easy with a larger cast when the stage exits are squeezed between seating. 

Tenner Bag certainly offers a rather bleak view of Northern life; it even opens with news reports of rioting, whilst there are suggestions that Becky’s (non-white) partner hasn’t come because of concerns he wouldn’t be welcomed. But Bolam tempers this bleakness elsewhere, especially in her representation of those family bonds. Both mum and dad represent hope and belief that there can be a better life for the next generation. There’s still work to do in developing Tenner Bag into the finished product; this feels very much like an early draft. There are certainly options to increase the run time to allow scenes to better settle in and develop, with enough depth in the characters to delve further into their lives. The end certainly feels rushed and slightly unsatisfactory, given what has gone before. But it is already a strong family drama about aspirations and choices that suggest there is plenty more to come.

Written by Francesca Bolam
Directed by Finella Waddilove
Music composed and designed by Cameron Pike

You can read more about Tenner Bag in our recent interview here.

Tenner Bag has completed its run at The Hope Theatre