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 By
Helen Le Caplain
The 1980s threw up people and events that were to make their mark in
history – Margaret Thatcher in 10 Downing Street, the falling of the
Berlin Wall and an ice-cream war in the city of Manchester...
All the Ordinary Angels is the story of Giuseppe Raffa (ex Birds of a
Feather actor Peter Polycarpou) – an ice-cream man and his two sons Lino
and Rocco. Giuseppe decides to retire and leave the business to one of
his sons, but who will he choose?
A fierce competition begins – whoever sells the most ice-cream in a
period of twelve months will win. The competition goes to new levels
however when Rocco fancies Lino’s girlfriend Lulu (ex Cutting It star
Lucy Gaskell) as his winning prize and between them, make and sell an
ice-cream that wins the hearts of the children of Manchester.
The Royal Exchange in Manchester is a circular theatre providing the
actors with even more challenges, as it means that the play has to be
performed in the round. Even more unusual was the fact that the entire
scenery and the majority of the props were made out of ice-cream boxes,
the most impressive being a huge stack of boxes in the shape of a
rectangle, which miraculously turned into an ice-cream van through the
use of projected lights.
VERDICT?
There’s no doubt about it – the show was a huge success. Credit must go
to the hugely talented Nick Leather, he created a story with a subtly
woven plot which allowed for heart-felt performances, having you crying
one moment and laughing the next. The ending reveals why this heavenly
new brand of ice-cream has been such a hit… believe me after seeing this
play you will never look at ice-cream in the same way again!
Recommended Links
http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/index.asp
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