Lee Oakes (Of “Two Pints Of Larger & A Packet Of Crisp” fame) takes on the role of Eugene in this fantastic tale of misspent youth and the inevitable yet often unwelcome journey into adulthood, leading the rest of the cast through a whirlwind of soul classics and working class struggles. Eugene is the most original, inspired character; a lost soul desperately seeking acceptance, the chance to be a “Somebody” in a world of “Nobodies” and the opportunity to live life to the full rather than simply exist in a monotonous world of nothingness. Yet the struggles of his girlfriend, Maxine and friends Danny and Suzanne are also crucial to the story.

From the very start, Maxine is a headstrong, confident young woman, and although she sinks a bit into a stereotypical giggling girlie as she falls hopelessly in love with the neurotic yet adorable Eugene, it is her who matures the most by the end of the play, embracing the inevitable change and becoming determined to escape the damaging effects of eternal youth and make a life for herself. Then there’s Danny, the obsessive. He lives, breaths, and quite literally sweats Northern Soul. Whilst his peers franticly search for a purpose, The ‘Casino is his purpose and whilst at first this passion is a wholly admirable aspect of his otherwise hysteric personality, in time it becomes his biggest flaw and greatest dilemma. What is there left to live for when the one thing you’ve dedicated your entire life too no longer exists? Ditzy blonde Suzanne, a cute, loveable if somewhat naive and mildly delusion character adds little to the overall story of “Once Upon A Time…” yet hers is easily the saddest, slightly heartbreaking tale of all. A beautiful blonde bird from Burnley, who despite having the most delightful personality, tends to spend more time in her own fantasy world than the real one (The perfect personification of  the plight of all the characters) which leads her to have a hard time to make friends or fit in with the scene, something she desperately desires.

The play may be centred around Northern Soul and The Casino, but isn’t really about either one of them, as the legendary club acts simply as the setting for a much deeper message, a message that extends beyond the 70s/early 80s era in which the play is set, to reach generation upon generation of young people. It’s a message that urges us all to enjoy our youth as much as possible, to embrace every opportunity with open arms and to enjoy our time as much as we possibly can, for at some point, that time will be over. And when that time is over, so we are warned, there comes a new time, a new set of opportunities and a whole new life. OK, so it may not be as exciting as a life of reckless partying and non-stop good times, but with it comes the chance to really become a “Somebody” and make something of your life. There’s no point hiding from it either, as Eugene discovers, change will happen, whether you want it to or not. Yet it’s not all doom and gloom. The dialogue is sharp, witty and frequently hilarious, at times lacing common northern dialect with a string of profanities and others bordering on the poetic, such as Eugene’s turning the image of foul sweat into something rather poetically beautiful, whilst Suzanne provides some fantastic comic timing and “Laugh at, rather than with” moments.

Just being in the audience itself is like actually being there at The Casino, Eugene walking out into the audience whilst some brilliantly shot video footage plays in the background and turns the show into a fully “multimedia experience.” All in all, a brilliant, incredibly funny, amazingly clever performance full of social commentary, fantastic dance scenes and Eugene’s comical obsession with Native Indians that could have only been made better had I not sat through the whole performance in some bladder-clutching cross-legged Yoga style position. Word of advice, if you are going to see “Once Upon A Time In Wigan”, go to the loo first, you won’t want to miss a second of it!

Th’end.

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