Review: ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS EVERYTHING, Bush Theatre

This is a really brilliant production; full of life, energy, exuberance, and joy. Luke Barnes' script breaks your heart in the subtlest of ways. His writing poetically tells the story of abandoned dreams, working class struggle, and the search for happiness. It's a piece that's full of hope, yet absolutely hopeless at the same time.

A boy that was given everything as a child grows up to have nothing. Well, he has a child and a wife, but he doesn't deem himself as successful. A girl grew up with nothing, yet now has a high flying job and lots of money, but no family to share it with. She's not happy either.

So what's more important, money or love? Is it possible to have both? Is there more to life than just that? Narrated by an erratic and witty storyteller, we are guided through a sensory overload of love, loss and triumph. He paints the picture that no one is happy - we are all desperately searching for something more than what we've got.

There's something so magic about music, where it penetrates all the walls you've fought so hard to build, crumbling them down and attacking your soul with a wave of unwanted, yet needed emotion. Middle Child is a group that understand proper art and use performance as a tool to really make an impact.

Their show is a raucous celebration that reminds me of the gigs I used to go to in my youth, and brings back all the happy memories of losing myself in the sound. There's such a warm atmosphere in the room that welcomes and invites the audience in to party.

A wonderful expression of culture - that's so unapologetic of its heritage - it makes me so proud to be Northern.

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything at Bush Theatre until 24 November

Photo courtesy of Middle Child

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