Tip Tray Event – What Happens Next? –  Saturday 20th January 2024

We’ve just got back from our third night’s trip to Hope Street Theatre and this review concludes the Tip Tray Trilogy where we got to see who will win the coveted prize: £1000 towards producing their play, dramaturgy support from Olivier award-winning Papatango and a five night-run of their full play at the Hope Street Theatre.

Tonight, the audience did not get to vote: it was all in the hands of the illustrious judging panel: Karen Brown, Ian Salmon, John McRoberts, Joe McGann and Jonathan Larkin.

However, the Creative Wire had their own mini-judging panel in tow – or two opinionated reviewers with our own thoughts on who should have won.

So, without further ado, let’s dive in…

Over to Ted:

This year, we have once more been blessed with great entertainment and variety. Each play depicting different messages, themes and styles. They have all been executed superbly by directors, producers and actors alike.

Our four finalists contrasted sharply. Kill, Boom, Stop & Run combined humour with dark undertones; a story of a fractured friendship, a breakdown in trust over a past event. We encountered strange characters adding to an often disorientating mix of drama. I wasn’t completely sold on the premise here and struggled to see the connection between everyone we meet – after the first twenty minutes at least. The acting was great, but the story lacked cohesion and felt somewhat reliant on physicality.

A Submarine for Mice was another curious tale this time weaving magical realism into a hard luck story. I found the character at the core of this an interesting one; why is he homeless, what is his back story? I struggled a little to see how the mice connected to his story. Were they allegorical? Some of the dialogue here felt a bit throwaway and I would have liked to have known a little more about the supporting characters, but it was an intriguing opening to an undoubtedly original and nicely acted piece.

This was my second time seeing Four and I enjoyed it so much more this time around. I appreciated the depth in the story itself and enjoyed going on Elspeth’s journey. This was a moving and intense piece of theatre and unlike anything else in our final. On first viewing I concluded that this was perhaps a case of style over substance but on second viewing I enjoyed the messages and themes explored around love, loss and grief. A worthy winner.

In Liverpool we are very used to seeing Scousers being Scouse, displaying ‘Scouse humour’ – dry, witty, acerbic, biting, bawdy and often coarse, perhaps even offensive to some. Often the humour is steeped in references that only scousers would get. But the two lads at the heart of Tomorrow Drifters, whilst having strong accents and distinct dialect, could be from anywhere – well, anywhere working class. Their conversations and banter felt so realistic they didn’t even appear to be acting. And Billy’s story is very relatable. As someone who dropped out of university barely three months into the first year I could empathise with his plight. It can take some people a lifetime to figure out what they want to be. We continue to put pressure on young people to be something, rather than someone.

In a society that’s only just waking up to a mental health epidemic in young people, coping with trauma is commonplace and both Billy and Eddie are still struggling with the death of close friend Cassie. Many of us can relate to these themes, and I therefore believe Tomorrow Drifters was a strong contender for the prize.

Over to Kirsten:

Tonight has been an enviable opportunity to see four of the pieces for a second time and I was delighted to see that I still got a lot from them.

Four especially revealed new layers, and the lack of necessity to write notes helped me see more nuance. While the first time round I enjoyed the choreographed aspects to the blocking, the multi-roling, mime and creative use of lighting, not least with the hand-held torches to create a sense of derealisation, I was slightly overwhelmed. However, tonight, the story fell into place and I could engage with the central character, Elspeth, better. It was easily the most creative theatre piece in terms of direction. If it was a case of voting for the best production, this would be my winner, hands down.

Kill, Boom, Stop & Run grew on me during its second airing for similar reasons to Four. First time round, it was simply too much information for me to process. I enjoyed the banter between Davo and Jonjo and the fact that each character had distinct personalities. It also blended genres, capitalising on incongruity for moments of surprise. However, I still felt there was too much going on, and the fact that the story is set in Merseyside limits its appeal to local audiences.

A Submarine for Mice still had the power to charm me with those adorable mice, and I loved the minimalist set with clever use of props (the signs outside Tesco reminiscent of Love Actually). I liked the fact that the two male characters seemed to bond and the elder had wisdom to impart, despite his own all-consuming issues. However, one question occurred to me tonight: if he can’t live or even be indoors, why does he keep two mice trapped in a toy submarine?

Tomorrow Drifters excels at characterisation. The acting was punchy and witty but with heart. Banter between the lads felt genuine and the colloquialisms were in keeping with how real people speak, rather than sounding scripted. Best lines from this show: grandparents had it easy because when they were young, “gaffs were a fiver” and “three kisses is half way to a neck”. Best comedy moment: Josh’s dancing. Great direction throughout with brilliant scene transitions that flowed seamlessly.

There were many instances of actors using the aisles around the auditorium to bring the audience right into the action – a real perk of Hope Street Theatre is that it allows for intimate performances.

A special mention for Jonathan Cliff, the tech wizard who didn’t miss a single cue (as far as I could tell) over the three nights despite some complex sound and lighting requirements.

The Creative Wire verdict:

Ted’s winner:

Just like last year my favourite was different to the judges. In 2023 Unaligned caught my eye because I felt it was rooted in something very real and had universal appeal. I love plays that can make me laugh and cry within the space of the same sentence.  This year Tomorrow Drifters had the same impact on me. It oozed authenticity. I found it funny, hysterical even, but also moving in a very understated way.

A beautifully written opening twenty minutes with plausible characters in painful situations realised by thoughtful and skilled acting.

Kirsten’s winner:

Four was a worthy winner and I think people will really engage with it. It’s a novel concept incorporating different elements of theatre we don’t often see on the fringe circuit. It’s also a creative play with four possibilities that will entice theatre aficionados to go more than once.

However, if I were judging solely on the play that makes me want to know “What Happens Next?” I would pick Tomorrow Drifters. I want to know all about Cassie, what did she say in her note? Will Billy get together with Emma? And what will become of both Billy and Eddie as they navigate being proper grown-ups? Will Eddie give up the “green” and will Billy prove all his detractors wrong in finding a future outside university? Also, how many more fascinating characters from their lives will we get to meet?

Our editor’s pick:

Our verdict is not unanimous, however. We were sat by our editor, Chris, who was blown away by Four, and pledged it as his personal favourite. There really was something for everyone within the three nights of the competition.

Why did the judges pick Four?

We caught up with John McRoberts, the judge for the first night and one of five tonight who deliberated and came up with the winner. He gave us his personal reflections in choosing Four:

“I can’t speak for the other judges, however, I chose Four as my pick of the night because it showed a level of sophistication in the writing. It was honest, raw, self-aware and very witty. I wanted to see how the story progresses through the various voices introduced… The 20-minute glimpse made me ask so many questions and after all, it was the show that made me question ‘What Happens Next?’ the most.”

Once again, Evan Byrne and Maisy Gordan, have pulled it out the bag in producing three excellent nights of theatre, making it engaging and interactive. It’s great to hear them offer their support to all six budding playwrights, plus the two who sadly had to withdraw from the competition. We look forward to seeing “What Happens Next?” with all their projects. Finally, a heartfelt congratulations to Elspeth Todd who will get to bring her full play to the Hope Street Theatre stage very soon.

The Winner:

Written by, Ted Grant & Kirsten Hawkins