Review: A SONG FOR ELLA GREY, Liverpool Playhouse Theatre

Pilot Theatre, the company behind the critically acclaimed Noughts & Crosses, return with their latest production, A Song For Ella Grey, which is a unique and engaging retelling of the ancient Orpheus Myth.

Based on David Almond’s young adult novel, the story follows Claire, her best friend Ella and their friends Angeline, Sam and Jay, as they meet a mysterious musician called Orpheus on a beach in Northumberland. They all become entranced by Orpheus’ songs, particularly Ella, with their meeting starting a series of events that change their lives.

Before the show even began, the atmosphere in the auditorium built with the sounds of waves crashing on a shore echoing all around you. Adam P McCready’s sound design cleverly immersed you into the story, building the tension and anticipation before the stage curtains lifted. With the sounds of waves, voices and songs playing from each corner of the room throughout the production, you felt that you were part of the story and experiencing everything that the characters saw and heard.

Bringing this imaginative re-telling of the Orpheus myth to life were a talented quartet of performers, including Olivia Onyehara as Claire and Grace Long as best friend Ella. Onyehara broke the fourth wall by speaking to the audience, guiding you through the story and seamlessly tying together the scenes to keep the production moving at a good pace.

The relationship between Claire and Ella was performed beautifully by Onyehara and Long, with each glance saying so much about how the characters were feeling, even when they were not speaking. The scene where they finished each other’s sentences was also delivered well, as you felt the closeness of their friendship, when they were miles apart.

Joining them were Beth Crame as Angeline, Jonathan Iceton as Jay and Amonik Melaco as Sam, who multi-role not only as Claire and Ella’s friends, but also their parents and fellow classmates. In a second, the impressive trio changed their voices and physicality to switch between multiple characters in the same scene, effectively creating busy scenes full of characters using only a small cast.

Each member of the cast delivered a stand-out performance and I hope to see them all back on the stage at The Liverpool Playhouse in the future.

With the action taking place on a minimalist set comprising of steps, curtains and in the second act, a circular spotlight in the centre, Verity Quinn’s well thought out set was used effectively by the cast to take you to a variety of locations. Whether it is Onyehara and Long sitting beneath duvets to create childhood bedrooms, the cast sitting in rows and moving their bodies up and down to simulate driving in a van or running up and down steps to show the characters running along the beaches, the audience were instantly transported to the same locations.

Chris Davey’s lighting design added an additional fantastical element to the production too, using shadows on curtains to create the figure of Orpheus, who you never saw in person - adding extra mystery to the story.

Powerful and phenomenally performed, A Song for Ella Grey is an innovative production that you will be talking about for months - if not years - to come.

Photo credit: Topher McGrillis

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