Naima Khan reviews an epic one woman show created by Kate Craddock: Hand Me Down at Tristan Bates Theatre
Why do charity shops always have Magic Radio on? It's usually that, or one of those stations that's perpetually stuck in a decade when we thought we were about to save Africa. In her one-woman-show, Hand Me Down, Kate Craddock embraces these great British charity shop quirks and looks at why it is people want to give back at all.
From the moment the first friendly northern volunteer welcomes us in, Kate has her audience grinning. But it's not just the flurry of funny people she channels that make this show so strong, it's the different notions of charity too. From Bob Geldof as a quasi-Messiah to charity as a defining personality trait or an escape for those in trouble, we are navigated across continents, and through decades, glancing not only individuals but at ideas too.
We meet an eight year-old whose mother's charitable nature defines her relationship with her daughter, and an old former missionary whose reasons for going to Africa aren't exactly what they seem. A good portion of the show also looks at the relationship between religion and charity, as the little girl quotes the Bible she's been taught and we're reminded of what else the West was doing in Africa while the missionaries were there en masse.
Modern sensibilities about the portrayal of third world victims come to light via a torch, a mosquito net and a gap year girl brimming with enthusiasm about her terrible charity campaign ideas. Her scenes are an example of the best and worst of Craddock's generally fantastic show. I barely notice the scene changes, which is remarkable given that it's only Kate on stage doing everything, but the show falls down slightly as it becomes reliant on already established Gap Yah stereotypes which, though they're still funny (as proved by the audience reaction), seem sub par compared to the rest of Craddock's intriguing characters.
Although the show feels light-hearted and we spend much of the hour and ten minutes chuckling, it's surprisingly rich, without being preachy. We barely notice as we're quoted pslams and Conrad and Craddock gives us a hopeful ending as we meet once more the eight-year-old from before – all grown up, a little jaded and very confused, but far wiser than her mother.
Hand Me Down runs at Tristan Bates Theatre until 2nd July
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