Sorter, written by Richard Mylan, starring Richard Mylan and Sophie Melville, at the Arts Wing, Grand Theatre, Swansea, until Friday, March 10.
It packs more punch than a Tyson Fury uppercut.
It’s ‘in your face’ – and it’s very much a story of our times.
If it is the role of theatre to ask questions, be authentic and be relevant, then Sorter ticks all the boxes.
It’s a real ‘Wow’ moment for the theatre and the arts in Swansea.
You’d be a mug to miss it.
At first glance, the topic may not be encouraging – an intertwined tale of two drug-fuelled lives.
But it’s a story that needs to be told – and hats off to writer Richard Mylan for being brave enough to tell the tale.
He stars alongside Sophie Melville in the intimate Arts Wing auditorium – a venue which adds atmosphere to the boxed-in, no escape stories of drug addiction.
Sophie Melville is outstanding. Her portrayal of addiction is so real that you genuinely fear for her safety on occasions.
Both actors directly engage with the audience in a bus stop setting we can all recognise from real life.
There is, of course, a health warning on attendance – the play contains discussion of substance misuse, child loss, childhood abuse and suicide.
Yes, it’s dark, but there are moments of laugh-out-loud humour – cheeky jokes we will all recognise about the best view in Swansea, Catherine Zeta-Jones, ‘Do the Math’ and NCP car parks.
Directed by Francesca Goodridge, designed by Jacob Hughes and with music by ChimpanA, Sorter is the complete package – an immersive experience.
The team at Grand Ambition deserve all the plaudits for a superb production.
Sorter will challenge you – but it’ll leave plenty of important questions about how we view addicts and how to escape the vicious circle of drug addiction.
Weblink for tickets: https://www.swanseagrand.co.uk/article/20707/Sorter
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