Sitting down to watch Motortown, I had no idea what to expect. The only information given in the programme is that the play is set in Dagenham in 2005 and sees main character Danny returning from the war in Iraq and struggling to readjust to civilian life. And essentially, this is what the play is about.
This is by no means a light hearted piece of theatre. Written in just a few days during the successful London Olympic bid and the tragic 7/7 bombings, the highs and lows of the country at the time are reflected strongly in Simon Stephens writing. Opening with a conversation between Danny (played by Nick Armfield) and his brother Lee (Alex Ferguson), the plays innocuous beginnings quickly transform into something much darker.
On stage for the entire duration of the one-act play, Armfield’s performance is stellar. Switching effortlessly between casual offbeat humour and terrifying seriousness, it is undeniable that it is his portrayal of Danny that holds the show together. Whilst all the other characters are on stage for only a single scene, occasionally two, there were some notable performances by all. Riana Duce – as teenage runaway Jade – did a brilliant job of showing the vulnerability of the character whilst maintaining a level of feistiness expected from a fourteen year old dropout living with an arms dealer. Alex Ferguson managed to portray Danny’s autistic brother with grace, adding a welcome touch of humour to an otherwise bleak and dark show.
Whilst the actor’s performances were all brilliant, I felt it was the stage design that really made the show. Bleakly depressing, it managed to convey a sense of urban decay whilst still remaining minimalistic and allowing the actors performances to speak for themselves. The use of car parts, as the vast majority of what made up the set, was an inspired turn, using old car seats and tires as tables and chairs in a variety of ways. The ever-looming car bonnet in the corner of the stage was also interesting and well thought out; the headlights reminiscent of the eyes of the omnipresent TJ Eckleberg in The Great Gatsby, or even of Big Brother in 1984.
Director Rory Hern and producer Katie Harrison have done a fantastic job of translating this play into reality. Despite being difficult viewing at times, it was almost a shame for it to end.