Threads is an original new musical performed by Leicester’s Williams Creatives, currently playing at Sue Townsend Theatre. The jukebox musical uses 80s and 90s hits to share the story of best friends Marcus and Marie who establish their own family through lifes ups and downs over 16-years.
The company’s first all female produced show is led by Cathy Robinson in her directorial debut, joined by Jade Afflick-Goodall as choreographer and Emmeline Pearson as musical director. Written by Joshua Taylor-Williams, who stars as Marcus, the story is a touching one exploring themes of family, community, and death.His relationship with Marie, played by Ellie Thompson in her first lead role, is a profound display of chosen families, delightfully paired with cheery renditions of some classic hits everyone knows and loves.With a friendship like that, it’s a wonder any romance gets a look in, but Matt Brown plays Marcus’ partner Richard with a gentle tenderness to balance Marcus’ flamboyance.
Among the poignant stories is Angelou’s, played by Bertie Black who carries some of the saddest and most humorous scenes with heart and soul as he deals with a terminal AIDS diagnosis. Isla Singleton is a star as Marie’s teenage daughter Kathryn , with an attitude filled rendition of Material Girl. The enthusiastic ensemble brought another joyful element to the show, and they worked as hard behind the scenes changing into their many costumes, as they did on stage, elevating songs with some great harmonies.
Some minor changes could polish the production – a particular bugbear is Marie getting married in an unironed wedding dress, moments after joking about the amount of creases in Princess Diana’s! Some adjustments to the mic set up could also help avoid the numerous crackles that spoil the immersion. With such a strong premise, it’s a shame the production goes on a little long, with the current run time sitting at three hours (including an interval). While the selected songs fit well, they could be significantly cut down to remove the excess choruses and focus more on the important messages in the narrative.Threads plays at The Sue Townsend Theatre in Leicester until Saturday 8th July. For more information and to book visit https://www.williamscreatives.co.uk/2022/10/31/threads/**
Katie Reviews 