We round up the reviews for Maimuna Memon’s gig theatre show, playing until the 28th March.
Broadway World: **** “The show is at its best when it’s at its messiest, both narratively and sonically. The climax sees bolder choices in lighting and sound, expanding the scope and scale of the production.”
Musical Theatre Review: ***** “This is a hugely engaging and important piece of insightful theatre, directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward, opening up discussions on mental health and shedding light on those who are overlooked. While society usually places a focus on the individual dealing with bipolar disorder, those providing the support are often forgotten.”
London Theatre Reviews: ** “Memon herself remains compelling throughout — a performer of undoubted gifts, and a figure from whom we will rightly hear a great deal more. But a showcase, however impressive, is not the same as a fully satisfying piece of theatre. Manic Street Creature left me admiring the artist while wishing the work had given more to hold onto.”
Everything Theatre: *** “Memon’s musical talent is immense. Her voice is a kaleidoscope of colour that can soar effortlessly one moment and create extraordinary intimacy the next. Traditional song structures are often set aside in favour of winding musical forms that mirror the emotional currents of the story. It is ambitious writing that demands the audience’s full attention throughout.”
The Stage: **** “Maimuna Memon’s semi-autobiographical show is exemplary gig theatre.”
All That Dazzles: **** “Messy, heartfelt, and musically thrilling, Manic Street Creature captures the chaos of loving something that might be bad for you, elevated by exceptional musicianship and undeniable emotional truth. The lingering bitterness of reopening old wounds may soften the sense of closure, but perhaps that discomfort is part of the honesty the show refuses to dilute.”
West End Best Friend: **** “Manic Street Creature is a very stirring piece of theatre. It plays to the audience’s emotional receptors rather than striving for great, untouchable poetry. It is intimate, occasionally awkward, upsettingly predictable and crucially very vulnerable.”
Theatre & Tonic: ***** “Manic Street Creature is an honest and deeply affecting piece of theatre. Maimuna Memon’s work, both in the book and the music, is both humorous and heartbreaking. The production as a whole creates an intimate atmosphere where the emotional impact of every moment lands. Its impact will certainly linger with me for a long time. “
London Unattached: **** “The gig form also brought frictions. Songs didn’t always allow sufficient exposition of the story. Plot points sometimes felt dropped in rather than earned by the drama. Swift transitions between tunes occasionally sacrificed careful exploration of characters’ minds. But the ambition of a production that merges an indie rock concert and a relationship drama wins the night. Maimuna Memon soars onto the scene as a musical force to be reckoned with.”
The Reviews Hub: ***** “There is such a raw openness to Manic Street Creature that one is immediately tempted to believe it is a purely autobiographical work. But that would deny Menon’s ability to craft a story through both narrative and music. Whether Ria is a character based in fact or one who is completely fictional matters not. She is vivid, she is real, and she is alive in an astounding piece of musical theatre.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ***** “Mental illness here ripples across generations, strains familial and romantic relationships, and drowns out the joys of life. Already, it is a topic rich with feeling. But in Memon’s liquid-gold singing voice, the emotional beats almost pierce your skin. Every note sounds entirely effortless. And with such aching honesty in her score, Memon lays herself completely bare.”
The Standard: *** “But there’s no escaping that the storyline piles one cliché on another, and the way the show addresses mental health issues is earnest but trite. The other three performers, who have contributed the odd comic line throughout, give Memon consoling, you-go-girl glances at the end. “Did you get what you needed?” one asks, and she says “yeah”. The audience, not so much.”
The Upcoming: **** “Under Ward’s direction, the production is a clear look at the cost of caregiving, showing through its music how far empathy can go.”
Time Out: *** “Manic Street Creature is a calling card for Memon’s considerable array of talents. Maybe she’ll end up best known as a performer in other people’s musicals; maybe the next self-written written show will be the one that makes her a household name; whatever the case, it’s not hard to I see that’s she’s great and it’s hard to imagine any scenario where she doesn’t end up a star. “
To book tickets visit: https://kilntheatre.com/whats-on/manic-street-creature/