A MANCHESTER ANTHEM - Hope Mill Theatre (31/07/25)

Surprisingly relatable piece surrounding early adulthood hits all the right notes

Let's face it, we've all been there, you're at that point in your life where you're saying a fond farewell to your adolescent years, and entering the uncertain, angst-ridden period of your life where you are figuring out what you want to be, not only professionally but as a person; with that usually comes a great deal of trial and error, a plethora of internal struggle, a major crisis of identity, and no shortage of mistakes to be made along the way. For many of us, these have comprised a decent number of nights out we have either regretted hugely at the time, or come to regret later in life. This idea of figuring oneself out forms the central motif of this coming-of-age solo piece, penned by Nick Dawkins in collaboration with up and coming acting talent Tom Claxton_.

The latter creative, a native of Stockport in Greater Manchester, actually received the script for "A Manchester Anthem" as a birthday present from playwright Dawkins, the pair long term best friends. The play is an in-depth exploration of themes such as self-discovery, social class and classism, and the process of adjusting to major life changes, more specifically gearing up to leave home and start a new life as a university attendee; and more often than not, this involves alcohol, poor decisions and a varying range of headaches.

Tom Claxton (credit: Flood Ltd.)

Sixth form student Tommy is in an enormously stressful situation, feeling like he is in limbo, with each of his feet in two completely different worlds, one anchored to his home by his childhood best friend, and the other surrounded by "Made in Chelsea"-esque rich kids who take pleasure in flaunting their lavish lifestyles, the type of kids with whom he would come to associate whilst studying at Oxford, and the latter proves a relatively alien ideology to our hero, and an understandably daunting prospect as he enters adulthood.

This is compounded by a complicated familial situation, as protagonist Tommy also has to contend with a mother who works all hours god sends, and a father who is no longer in the picture, resulting in added pressure and anxiety, leading him to make questionable decisions on one particular pre-uni night out with fellow Oxford matriculants. What writer Dawkins and director Izzy Edwards have managed to do, not only successfully, but enormously effectively, is capture this feeling of teen angst and rebelliousness by means of a rather ingenious combination of creative elements.

Tom Claxton (credit: Flood Ltd.)

We enter the diminutive auditorium of Hope Mill Theatre to be greeted by a backdrop of what initially present as simple stacks of cardboard boxes, Anna Naimh Gordon's set really pushing the notion of a teenager about to leave for pastures greener. However as the action moves on, these are revealed to be far more multi-functional than we originally presume, especially as we begin our protagonist's ill-fated night out on the town, these combining magnificently with Caelan Orlam's lighting design to really transport us to a setting of a student night club. Additionally, sound design by Sam Baxter really helps centre us, from the high volume nature of being in the club, to the gradual, graded muffling of the sound as Tommy moves further away from the dance floor, which is particularly brilliant.

But as this is a solo piece, we must highlight just how masterful Claxton's performance is, he has a natural, instinctive ability to hold the audience in his palm, painting a vivid picture simply through his delivery and various characterisations, and does so with a great deal of charisma and wit. He truly makes us believe there were multiple individuals on stage, and it is easy to suspend our disbelief due to the strength and versatility of his acting. Not only this, but he has that rare ability to use silence to his advantage where necessary, being able to say so much with so little; Claxton is a rare talent, he and Dawkins have created something visceral, and irresistibly real, that really depicts perfectly the flaws and foibles relating to the human condition.

★★★★★

"A Manchester Anthem" runs at Hope Mill Theatre until the 2nd of August (tickets), followed by a run at Riverside Studios from the 19th of August until the 13th of September (tickets)

{PR/Gifted tickets}