I've sat on the grass many times for Crude Apache's part in the Theatre In The Parks calendar, but I'll admit, it was a welcome change to have bench, bar and patio heater at the Norwich Playhouse for this performance on the terrace. This is a play about relationships, love and loss and about a need to beat the system of '80s Britain. Set in Argyle Street, Norwich's infamous squat, we are quickly caught up in the spirit of the people living on the street and their desire to survive, each in their own ways, against the rough deal thrown to them by society. There are some strong performances in this piece from many of the cast. Nicki Dixon is Mary. She fell in love during a holiday romance and was left pregnant by Aussie hunk (but in need of a tan), Joe. Joe, it soon becomes clear, is rather more interested in making babies than taking responsibility for them. Nicki is still growing Mary's role and it took sometime during the performance to find the passion and heartache of her complex character. When she did, it was a sheer joy to behold as we stepped aboard for every twist and turn in Mary's rollercoaster ride of emotions. Leighton Williams stars as Shabba. He keeps the community together, is liked by all and it's clear there is more than just a simple friendship in his heart when he's around Mary. There is a beautiful scene, handled with great tenderness, as Mary confides her heart to him - blissfully unaware of his true feelings towards her. Special mention also to Peter Barden as Lefty the Socialist and to Tom Gray as Alfred, the long-suffering, under-the-thumb of his wife, neighbour. Alfred caused many a laugh from the audience and could well be Victor Meldrew's long lost brother. This production from Crude Apache will, as ever, be popular with Norwich audiences who love the company's dramatisation of local history. For me, whilst enjoyable, it lacked the sparkle of their previous Theatre In The Parks offerings. There are some beautiful scenes in The Street, but overall I felt the piece was too long and it lurched into musical numbers that didn't always need to be there. A nice touch this year though, in having members of the cast pick up the instruments, rather than a separate band. This worked particularly well in the party scene. The voice of a newsreader was an excellent device for setting the play against the political agenda of the time. Sadly, it fell into the trap of sounding like you might think a newsreader should sound, rather than somebody actually just reading the news. As the production notes say, The Street is not supposed to be an accurate history of what happened more than 20 years ago, but an attempt to capture the spirit of the events at the time. This, I'm sure it does. Congratulations to all involved in presenting this important time in Norwich's physical and social past to new audiences. | 
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