Contact theatre’s series of immersive and pop-up theatre events and performances continues in Manchester this month during the refurbishment of their HQ on Oxford Road. The latest production is Oh Man, directed by TED talk star Hetain Patel, which explores what it means to be a man. Contact’s award-winning young ensemble, Contact Young Company, invites audiences to meet in Church Street’s Deli-Lama Cafe (one of our favourite cafe names – and just a stone’s throw from Deansgate) from where they will be whisked to a secret location for the performance. The play is comprised of interviews with boys and men of all ages and sees CYC’s young performers challenging conceptions of manhood in a provocative piece featuring everyday movement alongside striking visuals. Director Patel returns to familiar ground both with Contact, where he has worked before, and on the subject of identity: his TED talk on cultural identity has been watched over 3 million times (click here to watch or see below). CYC have been praised by The Stage for setting ‘a precedent for what can be done when young performers are treated as professionals’ – which should be a help with a production so timely for the emerging generation.
Thu 30 Aug – Sun 2 Sep, secret location, Meeting Point: Deli Lami Cafe, 220 Chapel Street, M3 5LE. Tel: 0161 274 0600, times vary, £13/£7, www.contactmcr.com
Words: Joe Daly
Published on: Thu 30 Aug 2018
