Lub You - Steele Productions, 24/7 Festival Manchester

Lub You
Writer: Eve Steele
Director: Ed Jones
Reviewer: John Roberts

Making her writing debut with Lub You is Eve Steele, using her own experiences of her own children to create the piece she has weaved a fantastic piece of physical theatre that is one of the festivals true highlights that taps right into the mindset of a youngster and all that trouble them.

Seen through the eyes of Charlie, we see his love of rangers, play fighting with his dad, the hatred of new baby Bo-Bo, the post-natal breakdown of his mum Vicki and the breaking up of his parents and the joys and pitfalls of having two bedrooms to sleep in.

Charlie is played beautifully by Eve Steele with a strong physicality and glorious facial expressions one can’t help but remember all the moments that she vividly brings to life from our own past experiences. Playing Bo-Bo is new graduate Amy Spencer, who for the majority of the play grimaces and crys but really comes into her own in the final ten minutes of the piece when Bo-Bo learns to talk.

Playing Vicki is also new graduate Tanya Huq, not only stunning to look at physically but a fantastic actress to boot, the breakdown of her character transposed into dance is one of the best singular pieces of physical theatre I have seen. One couldn’t help but feel more could have been made of Ted Holden playing Jay, the put upon father, but when he is on stage he holds his own with his sheer physical presence.

Ed Jones has directed this piece with a sharp eye, and makes sure that the pace is kept upbeat and the tension is rung to its maximum effect, with well observed mannerisms, and choreographed routines this show packs a real punch for your pound and I can truly say I LUB this show!