Top Gs Like Me At Royal & Derngate Northampton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Janine Rumble
Top Gs Like Me is a brilliant, funny, raw, honest and uncomfortably true portrayal and depiction of life for young people living in the time of social media. It is totally brutal, thought provoking and leaves you feeling like you have been on a roller coaster of emotions watching it.
Top Gs Like Me is a brand-new comedy by local playwright Samson Hawkins and directed by Jesse Jones. Comedy sounds strange when you have read what I wrote above in my description of the production, but there is light-hearted comedy smattered throughout to provide some light relief. It is set in the Radlands skate park with references to Northampton that make you feel and understand how close to home this play is, which adds to the worry of the topics covered throughout the play, whether it makes you think of a young person you know who is like one of the characters, or struggles like one of the characters, or if one of the characters resonates with you for more personal reasons. It is definitely a thought-provoking watch.
The play follows Aidan, played brilliantly by Daniel Rainford, who portrays the complicated twists and turns in Aidan’s young life with ease. He is a constant on the stage throughout the 90 minute performance, so you really build a bond and become invested in this character. You follow him on his journey and feel his hopelessness, angst, determination and regret along with him, a definite rollercoaster of emotions where you feel sorry for him one minute, anger the next, disappointment the next and then hope. It really is a journey.
Aidan is a young man trying to hold down two jobs to make some money, who has an ill mother at home, who never leaves the sofa, so he spends his days at the skate park trying to perfect a trick on his scooter to impress his friend, who he is secretly in love with, Mia played by Fanta Barrie and scrolling through social media.
The portrayal of social media through the play hits the mark perfectly, showing how easy it is for a young person feeling lost in the world can be sucked into a life of misogyny and influenced by what they see and hear online and how this can change them as a person. It highlights the worrying trend of social media and what everyone on social media is exposed to. The talented internet ensemble, replicate scrolling on social media so well as they portray everything that appears to Aidan as he scrolls social media, from dancing, to funny memes, from Donald Trump, to Peppa Pig, adverts to the harmful and misogynistic bad influence of Hugo Bang, played by David Hatchard, who, by the end of the play, you will come to hate for everything he represents and brings to the world and this is thanks to the acting of David. Hugo Bang really is a truly horrible character, who shows that he is only one of millions influencing the lives of vulnerable people.
We watch Aidan, whose life changes when he finds out his friend has a boyfriend and is leaving to go to university soon. The relationship between Aidan and Mia is palpable in its honesty and Mia and Daniel play the friends so well along their journey of friendship. Finn Samuels, who plays Charlie, Mia’s posh boyfriend and Emily Coates, who plays Grace, Charlie’s little sister are great at showing a different, but just as real perspective of their lives and it is interesting to watch how these two very different worlds collide and the influences they both have on each other.
We also meet homeless man Dave, played by David Schaal, an alcoholic homeless man who lives in a tent next to the skatepark, who then befriends Aidan and tries to help him, all whilst dealing with his own issues.
It is such a thought provoking play and all of the characters are gritty and real and you can’t help but to be brought into their world…just brilliant…a must watch, especially if you have young people in your life. It is a little insight into what life is like for them, growing up with social media. It might even help open up conversations.
The staging for this production is just amazing. As I walked into the auditorium, I was taken aback and impressed. Radland skatepark had authentically been recreated in the middle of the theatre and the seating was all around it, making it a much more intimate and immersive feeling. This staging and seating made you feel like you were a part of the bubble. I have never been to a play where I didn’t feel like I was watching a play, but experiencing it first hand instead and it was a brilliant experience and one I would happily go and see again.
Top Gs Like Me is on at Royal and Derngate until Saturday 7th March and I urge you to go and see it. I give this production 5 stars out of 5, but I would have given more if I could. It is a brilliant portrayal of life and growing up online.
Raring: 5/5
Some performances are pay what you can and prices start as little as £2. Main ticket prices from £12 – £32 and can be purchased from the Box Office in the theatre or online via https://royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/top-gs-like-me/
To coincide with the production, there is an exhibition of street art throughout the building, which is amazing to see.