#BeMoreMartyn (and Everyone Else).
MARTYN Hett unwittingly became the face we all remember in the days following the terrorist attack on Manchester Arena in May 2017. The success of this play, #BeMoreMartyn is not in its staging of the manner of Martyn’s death – it does not, but in its focus on his life and those he impacted closest to him. It is in a way his celebration.
Directed and written by Adam Zane under the banner of Hope Theatre Company, this verbatim theatre piece has resulted from interviews of Hett’s close circle of friends, boyfriends and flatmates, a veritable buffet of personalities who all recount their memories of him, and particularly their time hanging out at The Frig – essentially a bar in the living room of his Stockport flat.
With a cast of eight, this is an unusually crowded stage for a fringe show, but a short insight into Hett’s world suggests the production could have cast twenty times that and still only skimmed his influence upon those around him.
It is tricky for a production to include actual filmed and sometimes televised moments from such a life, as Martyn Hett was clearly such a huge personality, those moments sometimes leave us wanting more of the real deal. But that said, the success of this play and production is not just in its acknowledgement of one individual. Its intelligence is that whilst keeping us engaged in the moment and indeed Martyn, we leave determined to celebrate our own journeys, influences and impact upon others, and marvel at the wonder of those we live with today. So that has to be a winner right?
#BeMoreMartyn continues at The Warren Theatre Box, Wednesday May 30, Thursday May 31 and Friday June 1. Times vary – check website for details.
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