She doesn’t want to see you. She told me to tell you
A brief pause.
She told me that you were frightening her. Your letters were frightening, she said.
A brief pause.
I’m really, really, really, really sorry.
It is with this bitter-pill that we are flung into Motortown. Set on a stage “performed as far as possible without decor”, Motortown is the product of a 4 day creative flurry from York Graduate Simon Stephens that builds towers of east-end grit through the mentally jilted characters. Whilst the title may initially conjure images of oil-sodden, mid-western snack shacks and hokey garages, the play is based in Dagenham, the home town of Iraq war veteran Danny.
Our small peek into the diverse range of characters’ lives is drawn together by the omnipresent Nick Armfield, the play’s lead, and something indescribably wanting in those he meets. Whether its discussions about Coco Pops with his mildly autistic brother Lee, a curious encounter with a pair of swingers or estranged ex-girlfriend Marley, Danny has to reconcile his splintered past through the lens of a subtly portrayed yet deeply rooted post-war perspective.
The play’s director Rory Hern gives a little insight into the thematic pace of the play. “It’s called Motortown. It’s about cars, it’s about speed, it’s about dirt. It’s the story of a man stuck half in a past that no longer exists and his struggle to come to terms with a reality that has powered forward without him.”
Motortown plays from Tuesday 26th to Saturday the 30th. Tickets cost £5 for students, £8 for adults. Don’t miss out.
There are also exclusive double bill tickets available to see both Motortown and Punk Rock: £7.50 for students and £12 for adults.