ED2014 4/5 Reviews ED2014 Theatre Reviews

The 56 (FYSA Theatre)

By Andy Leask | Published on Thursday 7 August 2014

A heartfelt tribute to the 56 people who died in the Bradford City fire of 1985. There’s a refreshing simplicity to the show, fittingly respectful and dramatically effective. Three actors present lines taken verbatim from survivors’ own accounts of football, the day of the fire, the weeks, months, years that followed. The simple staging – a small, wooden section of football stand – lets the words do the work. These, too, are simple, straightforward, authentic. There’s no need for dramatic techniques, or manipulation to evoke feelings: the truth suffices. At the end, when the names of the dead are read out, we feel as though we saw the flames ourselves, as if we felt Bradford’s loss. Powerful stuff.

Underbelly, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andrew Leask]