REVIEW: Bricks, by Michael Rumney, Fruit and Fibres, Liverpool

'˜Who cares for the carers?' Who indeed?
BricksBricks
Bricks

This is a play about two sisters – one is the responsible, sensible sister who has more or less sacrificed a normal life in order to look after an ageing father with Alzheimer’s. The other sister is more of a flighty sort who doesn’t really understand what’s involved in looking after the old man. And who is going to inherit the ‘bricks’ – the house, after the father dies?

I went to see this play, expecting it to be reasonably good. I was wrong. It was superb. Right from the beginning, the conflict between the two sisters captured my attention. They were believable characters, acted admirably by Kate Mulvihill and Jane Hamlet. As the story unfolded, their personalities and points of view developed via natural, flowing dialogue and I found myself captivated.

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Just how much can you do with two characters? The answer: a great deal. Very cleverly written, you can sympathise with either or both of these women as they try to do their best to arrange care for their dad.

Michael Rumney has had short plays performed as part of the 24:7 Scratch Night evenings. He has worked with Organised Chaos in their Chaotic Combinations performances writing two monologues and two duologues, one of which – Hilltop – was voted the best by the audience in 2011. In 2014, his short play Inference was performed at the King’s Arms, Salford, as part of the Organised Chaos Perspectives programme. A rehearsed reading of his play, Quantum was performed at the King’s Arms in February 2015. He has also had two sketches accepted by the TV programme Shoot the Writers.

Michael is a member of Pennine Ink Writers who meet at 8 pm every Monday at the Woodman Inn, Todmorden Road, Burnley.

Last chance to see ‘Bricks’ is on Saturday at 7pm - Fruit and Fibres, 67 Norfolk Street, Liverpool L1 0BG. This final performance is in a double-bill with “Our Gift.” Tickets - here

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