The Syndicate at Milton Keynes Theatre Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Julie Hayward
I attended Milton Keynes Theatre last night to see Kay Mellor’s, The Syndicate, based on the TV series of the same name. This adaptation for the stage show was what was sadly to be her last before her recent death, in 2022. It is Kay’s daughter, Gaynor Faye who directs and plays a role herself, who has ensured the play has been brought it to the stage.
Kay is known for her witty dialogue and bringing to life characters that the audience can easily relate to, and the Syndicate is no exception. You are instantly emersed into a familiar world of a local convenience store that is somewhere up-north, with very ordinary working-class people. The set itself has a familiarity about it, yes it could be your local store, but it also could have just popped up on your TV screen, in a seen from your favourite soap or sitcom. And like on a TV set the audience can view the shop locations depending on where the action is taking place in either the checkout, manager’s office or the staff room.
The four characters who work in the shop are two females and two males, along with their boss and they are all part of the work-place lottery syndicate, and tonight is a big roll-over jackpot of twenty-four million pounds, and you’ve guessed it, they’ve won! Yes, their numbers have come up!
We have got to know the character’s back stories and there is some jeopardy of whether they will all be able to claim the money, as one member of the group, our leading man is played by Benedict Shaw, has not been paying into the syndicate for several weeks now. However, I had expected that more of this storyline would be explored, as to how the decision was made and if greed or morals had come into it.
After the interval, the set has changed and is now a luxurious property being rented by Stuart and his girlfriend Amy, played by ‘Coronation Street’s Brooke Vincent, who is enjoying spending his share of the winnings. The cast is also joined by Kay, played by Gaynor Faye, a representative from the lottery company, the boss’s wife, and a detective, who is there to investigate a robbery that took place at the shop the same evening that the group’s fortunes changed.
I enjoyed the play, the acting was faultless, and the script was excellent, but I think I wanted a little bit more, I wanted to see the impact the money had had on their lives, whether for the better or not. But the characters were for me a bit stereotyped, for example the frumpy middle-aged woman got a little less frumpy by having her eyes lasered and therefore now not wearing glasses. I wonder if Kay Mellor had continued to have had an input, would the characters and the story have been developed further?
Overall, it was a great night out, the play was in parts funny, the drama was intriguing, and I did find I liked the characters. It was an enjoyable feel-good story, one that most people will relate to.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £13
The Syndicate is at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tues 28th May to Sat 1st June 2024
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-syndicate/milton-keynes-theatre/
For more information and to book tickets call 020 7206 1174 or visit www.atgtickets.com
Milton Keynes Theatre, 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK9 3NZ