Review: A MANCHESTER ANTHEM, Hope Mill Theatre
Photo credit: Flood Ltd
Having won multiple awards during its previous sell-out runs at VAULT Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, A Manchester Anthem returns with a sold out run at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre before heading south to London’s Riverside Studios.
A one-man, one-act, 60-minute show following Tommy (Tom Claxton), a typical lad from Manchester who’s just been accepted into Oxford University. The first in his family—and the first on his street—to get there. It’s a big achievement, and Tommy’s looking ahead to a new life. On his final shift as a waiter, he runs into a group of other Oxford-bound students. They’re posh, confident, and nothing like him. The encounter leaves him feeling out of place before he’s even arrived. On his last night out before heading off, Tommy wrestles with the person he is, the person he wants to be, and what he might lose in between.
Writer Nick Dawkins gifted this script to Tom Claxton for his birthday, drawing inspiration from the deep conversations they had shared about how their upbringings had shaped their lives. Set designer Anna Niamh Gorman brings this personal narrative to life, beginning with a stage filled with cardboard boxes—symbolic of Tommy’s upcoming move to Oxford. As the story progresses and Tommy heads out for a night on the town, the set transforms: the boxes light up to evoke the energy of a nightclub dance floor, while stencilled silhouettes of Manchester landmarks ground the scene in a vivid sense of place.
The set is well-suited to the length of the production—simple enough to keep the focus on the acting and story, yet inventive enough to maintain the audience’s engagement throughout. While Dawkins succeeds in capturing aspects of Manchester’s character, the script feels somewhat conventional and lacks a distinctive dramatic edge. It didn’t push far beyond familiar territory, and although the piece concludes with a sense of resolution, it ends on a relatively quiet note that misses the opportunity for a more impactful finish.
Sound designer Sam Baxter skilfully transports us from a coffee shop to Manchester nightlife using a variety of background music. However, Claxton is sometimes hindered because it was difficult to hear him clearly for extended periods. Without a microphone, he has to speak over an emphatic, pulsing house beat whilst trying to tell the story.
A commendable performance comes from Tom Claxton, who holds the stage alone for the entire duration of the production. Seamlessly multi-rolling as a range of characters—from his mum and school friends to his boss and the posh Oxford boys he may soon be surrounded by—Claxton brings energy and nuance to each role. However, the pace at which he’s required to switch between characters to maintain the story’s momentum occasionally works against him. While each character is distinct in tone and manner, the rapid transitions sometimes makes it difficult to immediately identify who is ‘speaking.’
Claxton does, however, deliver the material with passion and power. From the moment we meet him dancing in his underwear in his bedroom, he captivates the audience effortlessly. His confident engagement, including direct eye contact with audience members, draws them fully into the story. The performance features plenty of humorous moments, with Claxton expertly using silence, subtle expressions, and shifts in posture to elicit laughter without uttering a word. Claxton’s presence is integral to the partial success of the piece, elevating it beyond what the script alone might achieve.
A Manchester Anthem shines a revealing light on many relatable issues that continue to shape society today. Through its exploration of class hierarchies, the piece highlights just how deeply divided a city can be. Claxton convincingly portrays the young teenager caught between who he is and what he wants. However, it is Dawkins’ predictable and conventional writing that prevents A Manchester Anthem from becoming a standout hit.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Jordan Potts