It has to be said that Slave is not an easy watch, recounting as it does the abduction of Mende Nazer from her family home in the Nuba mountains of Sudan when she was a young girl in the 1990s. Taken by the Mujahideen, she is subjected to physical and sexual assault and sold into slavery to a ‘devout’ Arab Muslim family where she works unremittingly to look after their children and keep home.

Used and abused in her new domestic setting, Mende loses contact with her beloved family, fearing they have all been killed in the brutal raid on her village.

The first half of the play tracks Mende’s life and idyllic childhood in Sudan, where she hopes to become a doctor and where she is cosseted as the baby of the family. She is abducted along with her best friend and trafficked to Khartoum where she is ‘bought’ by a family and enslaved for the next eight years.

She has now become the ‘property’ of a tyrannical wife and mother who mercilessly beats her for the slightest infringement. Mende is left to eat the scraps off the family table once everyone else has finished eating.

There is some fine ensemble acting in this production by Feelgood Theatre, with notable performances from Yolanda Ovide as Mende, Joseph Jordan as journalist Damien Lewis who brought the country’s attention to Mende’s plight, and Sara Faraj as Rahab, Mende’s ‘master’ in Khartoum.

The second half of the play recounts Mende’s life after she is tracked into the UK to stay with a diplomatic family. Again, she is imprisoned within the family home but manages to make contact with the outside world and makes a dramatic bid for freedom and away from her tormentors. But Mende’s challenges are not over yet and she is confined to a grim asylum centre after applying for refugee status in the UK.

Her application is initially refused because slavery was not at that time recognised as a form of persecution. It is only after Damien mounts a campaign on her behalf, taking in MPs and Lords, that Mende is finally granted the freedom and liberty she has so long craved.

Mende managed to secure her dream of becoming a medic and wrote a book about her journey to freedom, on which this production is based. Later on, we learn that her family survived the raid.

On the opening night, Mende was herself in the audience and made an emotional appearance on stage at the end of the performance, paying tribute to the cast in bringing her story to life so vividly – and the story of countless others around the world who are victims of modern slavery.

Now based in the US and an anti-slavery campaigner, Mende’s remarkable story is one of resilience and courage.

Slave: A Question of Freedom is at The Lowry, Salford from 9-12 October 2024. Age recommendation 10+

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This work premiered in 2018 and has been described as ‘an example of what music and theatre can do to celebrate and learn from the best of our past’.

The program guide describes this piece as ‘…a modern classical fusion of music, poetry and drama’. In this respect this performance delivers. Set in Heaton Park and spanning a single day from sunrise to sunset we’re invited to take a closer look at history of the park. A history that initially seems familiar: kite flying, family picnics and leisurely walks. The other history, however, is one where the park plays host to: suffragette rallies and alleged attacks; a World War I Army Recruitment Camp; and a RAF base in 1939. As well as this the park was centre stage with visits from William Grimshaw (performing his Gramophone concert); Pope John Paul II and later when Oasis held sell out concerts at the venue.

While waiting to enter Manchester Cathedral, a building whose majestic ornateness I’ve always admired, we were treated to the sounds of voices singing – this immediately set the tone for the evening by transporting us back in time. Once the evening commenced an approximately 20 strong child choir sings with a musical accompaniment. My one criticism here is that (rather ironically) I wish the acoustics could have been better. At odd intervals it was slightly difficult to clearly interpret what was being said or sung. Nevertheless, above the stage carefully curated images of the park’s past were projected. Grainy sepia photographs charting the park’s progress through the years.

By far the most poignant sections of the evening were when the actors gave earnest interpretations to historical events. The first of these was the retelling of the Manchester Pals Army Camp. War is declared and young men with their lives ahead of them were called upon to be patriotic and enlist.

I, like many others, studied this in school many years ago and I’d even heard of the Manchester Pals – what I didn’t know was that their army camp was at Heaton Park. Many of these recruits never returned and a proportion of those who died left loved ones at home. This was tenderly articulated on stage when we were presented with war widows sharing their stories through song. Women had responded to the call to step into the roles left behind by the absent men fighting abroad. Parallel to this the very same women reacted to the persistent failure of a bill in Parliament that would have allowed women to vote. Heaton Park again had a role to play here when Suffragettes held some of their rallies here. Perhaps, more controversially, Suffragettes where suspected of being behind arson attacks on the both the Heaton Park bowls house and the nearby station.

Throughout the evening the stories are told eloquently through song, projected images, dance and a touching libretto by Manchester poet, Tony Walsh. Together this combination, as seen through the eyes of the faithful Amelia and Arthur, invites us to consider what they (Amelia and Arthur) would think of how far we’ve progressed since they arrived. Are we a more compassionate society? Has the sacrifice suffered over two World Wars taught us anything? The night ends positively with a rallying call to us all visiting the park to have open minds and hearts; and to fly kites not drones. Overall, this was a poignant and educational way to end Remembrance Sunday.

Feelgood Theatre presented These Days – The Manchester Peace Song Cycle at Manchester Cathedral on 10 November 2019.

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Secretly, I was hoping for similar levels of inclemency for the opening night of Dracula – The Blood Count of Heaton (rather disappointedly, it takes place during a muggy British heatwave). First staged in the late noughties – and back by popular demand – Dracula marks the 25^th anniversary of Caroline Clegg’s much-loved Manchester company. For those unfamiliar with Feelgood’s spirit of risk and adventure, it serves as an ideal introduction. 

In the week that Boris Johnson became PM, a show about a blood sucking monster seems strangely appropriate, though thankfully the cast avoid cheap topical gags and references. Actor Peter Clifford returns as the Count, and also serves as writer, condensing Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel, into a brisk two and a bit hours. Selflessly, he gives himself fewer scenes than most other characters; Dracula is more elemental presence than fully rounded character, and at times the Count seems like a guest star in his own show.  

But The Blood Count has a surprise secret weapon in the shape of Frederica Davies – in her professional debut – bringing a bright-eyed effervescence to the part of flighty, tragic Lucy Harker. She has excellent comic timing (check out the wacky banter in Scene 2), and is surely a name to look out for in future. Rebecca Phythian, as mad Gypsy girl Christina, makes a similarly memorable impression. Sophie Coward is suitably stout hearted as all-round good egg Mina. Feelgood regular Karl Greenwood gives a strong, committed performance as crusading vampire killer Van Helsing.

Having staged numerous productions at Heaton Park, director Clegg knows this epic green space like the back of her hand, and uses half a dozen inspired locations (the faded grandeur of Heaton Hall – the interior generally closed to the public – is cleverly incorporated). Audience members can expect to walk half a mile, as they move between the various scenes.

The momentum increases in Act 2, as Van Helsing, Dr Seward (Elianne Byrne), Jonathan Harker (Harry Mace), Inspector Morris (Joseph Jordan) and Gypsy Leader Apostolo (Dan Willis – another company regular) set off to hunt down and kill the Count.

The most effective moments occur in and around the woodland area. A chorus of pale faced victims lurk in the background, singing an unnerving lament for the dead, whilst the vampire hunters wander through the forest, led by lantern light. Clifford is also a stage illusionist, and adds several special effects, including black magic flashes, and rising coffin smoke. The Count cheats destiny one more time, which sets the stage for a suitably dramatic finale (a wedding and a bloodbath on the same day; what are the chances?) around the impressive floodlit terrace of Heaton Hall.

As much as I love Manchester International Festival, it does have a tendency – like an artistic version of Godzilla – to overshadow most everything else; some people may feel they’ve had enough culture for a while, and want to get back to normality. It would be a shame if this show got lost in the post MIF shuffle: In its own modest, quietly thrilling way, The Blood Count of Heaton makes for a mesmerising and memorable night out.

Dracula – The Blood Count of Heaton is at Heaton Park from 24 July to 11 August 2018. Visit website for details.

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The Grade I listed Heaton Hall has been the source of many tales over the years, and this Christmas it’s being opened to the public to create more memories in its story-telling heritage.

The hall was originally designed in the late 18th century by architect James Wyatt as a home for Sir Thomas Egerton, whose family lived in the grand property for more than 100 years.

During the 20th century the hall had several practical uses as army training camps and hospitals during the first and second World Wars.
After many years of closure it has recently been opened to the public again as a space for site-specific theatrical performances from Feelgood Theatre, which has a long-history of producing outdoor performances in the surrounding park land.

A Christmas Tale in Heaton Hall is Feelgood’s latest show, a family Christmas story with singing, ghosts, fairies, Santa and the Manchester Bee.

The show is suitable for ages four and upwards, and little-ones are encouraged to bring a cushion with them to sit at the front. If you are looking for an opportunity to wear your Christmas jumper there are prizes for the best festive dress!
The show lasts for one hour, after which you can enjoy mince pies and find out more about other groups who organise activities in the park such as The Astronomers, Bee Keepers, the Tramway and The Friends of Heaton Hall.

A Christmas Tale in Heaton Hall is at Heaton Hall on 15 and 16 December 2018. Visit website for details.

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It feels apt that a company with such a long association with Heaton Park is bringing the history of its magnificent hall to life with a production that showcases the region’s artistic talent in writing, acting, music and dance.

Whispers of Heaton is a new commission which focuses on the history of the eighteenth century hall during the two World Wars – first as a military camp for the Pals Battalions, and later as a base for the Air Force.

The hall is not normally open to the public, and stepping inside feels like we’re being given a glimpse of a secret world. Although it’s a ghost of its former self, the ornate ceilings, marble sculptures and wide-open staircase give an immediate sense of the hall’s past grandeur. Inside, it’s not hard to imagine we’re back in 1914.

This is where the first of the two plays, The Fight, starts. Written by Cathy Crabb and Lindsay Williams, who recently collaborated on Dreamers for Oldham Coliseum, it tells the story of young boxer Walter, all cocky and full of fire, who returns from war barely recognisable from the energised youth he once was.

In five short scenes we move through the hall and almost three decades of history, touching on Manchester’s place in the women’s peace movement, and ending up in a room with Walter’s son, a soldier in the Second World War.

The dialogue is interspersed with interpretive dance from Tangled Dance Company. Coupled with the melancholy sound of Stephanie Stamopoulos on cello and the haunting voice of Amy Webber, these interludes gives the audience time to soak in the atmosphere of the surroundings as well as ponder on the reality of such untimely loss of life.

The next play, The Unknown Bugler, by Peter Kerry, follows as another scene, with the audience moving into the music room which houses an impressive chamber organ, built by Samuel Green in 1790.

That the plays aren’t separated out more distinctly could be slightly confusing for those who haven’t read the programme notes. Yet, that aside, this is a play which effectively demonstrates the importance of music and the arts in boosting morale and creating identity.

Even in the most desperate of times we still long to be entertained. It is a message relevant in our cost-cutting times, and when seen in the context of war becomes at once both uplifting and heart-breaking.

There are some lovely performances, particularly from Jon-Paul Bell, who as Walter, and later as Albert, embodies all the enthusiasm and energy of youth, bringing the loss of so many young lives home with a force that isn’t easy to shake off.

All involved should be applauded for bringing these stories and the old hall to our attention, because Whispers of Heaton is something to shout about.

Whispers of Heaton is at Heaton Hall, Heaton Park from 26-30 May, 2016.

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