Who’d have thought mental north London gangsters swearing Cockney blind could be poetic? Sofi Goddard finds herself mesmerised by Manor’s vivid lyrical triumph
“Get stuck in, let’s fuck him up.” Repeated about 40 times, building in volume, until eventually screaming: that's how this play opens. The scene is suitably set for this tempo-focused, poetically hardened north London petty gangster tale.
Manor centres around the untimely and violent demise of local gangster Stud, slowly twitching to death on the floor of a toilet cubicle. Blood pours from a hole drilled into the back of his head: belligerent to the last breath. The narrative then unfolds irregularly, jumping back and forth, eventually revealing how Man, a small-time criminal and local proprietor of the pool hall, and Joe, an innocent teen, become embroiled in Stud’s brutal world and are both present at his end.
The snappy scene changes and matter-of-fact updates are highly reminiscent of Lock Stock and Football Factory. But the fast-paced, lyrically aggressive script by Martin Murphy consciously captures the punchy cockney wit, slang, and tough talk, skilfully interspersed with moments of fragility and expertly delivered comedy.
The slightly jaded, portly pool hall owner and balding drug dealer, Man, is played by James Kermack whose skilled comic timing injects Manor with moments of hilarious dark humour; and whose character provides an uplifting contrast to the intense and sadistic Stud.
Stephen Pucci plays the cocksure, chippy, menacing, and quite insane Stud, a local gangster prone to unprovoked attacks on visiting footie fans, rival tough guys, and local youngsters. The role is brilliantly performed by Pucci who gives a compelling performance of an image and reputation-obsessed twenty-something lone gangster bent on being both respected and feared. The only whispers of humanity that creep unwillingly into Stud are when he momentarily questions his crudely twisted morals and when his last thoughts turn to Belle, his first love: “I’m in charge but I’m done in. She got to me. Belle.”
A feat of overlapping dual dialogue between Joe and Stud in the closing scenes creates a thrilling climax with nothing tied up neatly. The four-strong cast deliver an impeccably error-free performance given the long, unbroken, and speedy dialogues. Minimal props and set design help emphasise the true star of Manor: the captivating dialogue. The script and its deliverance are enough to set the atmospheric scenes, and my, it's done well.
Photo credit Katie Batson
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