Premiering Declaration at our second home, The Lowry, felt really special and we received a 5* review from The Reviews Hub, but an exciting review came out of the blue from Dave who supports adults from all over Greater Manchester with his ADHD support group MADDchester. Here are his thoughts…
Performed in the round in The Lowry’s studio space, so capacity was not much more than 100, which makes it incredibly intimate.
And then Sarah arrives onstage, which significantly ups the ante.
It was a merciless performance. Sarah turned the screws on tight and kept them on for the entire performance, which was quite a ride.
The story of one small boy and his dog this was not. It was Sarah, Sarah and more Sarah, dragging us through the complexities of her life and how her mental health is affecting it.
It starts in good humour and, once she had you on board, then started slipping in the harder stuff. And being in the audience was no defence, you were going to be used, with some aplomb, as ‘ad hoc’ commentators/advisors to whatever theme Sarah was pursuing at that point.
Sarah believes her mental health problems are mainly down to ADHD (I’d agree) and the script explored many of the issues of growing up/living with that in a thoughtful, engaging and thought provoking way.
It was good stuff. Sarah is thunderously energetic, and not afraid of emotion, so you’d need to have a heart of stone not to be transported through the experience with her.
Being emotionally incontinent myself made me an easy mark, so I left utterly drained, but in a good way.
I really can’t recommend it highly enough. ADHDers will enjoy comparing themselves with it. Families of ADHDers will see ADHD explained in an easy to understand way. Those completely out of the ADHD orbit will just have to settle for a rip-roaring emotional roller-coaster of a play. I pity them.
