Never mind the parallels with Greek mythology, the first thing that strikes you is just how likeable Orpheus in the Record Shop star Testament is as he invites you into his world filled with pathos, unremitting sorrow, infused with beat-box and an orchestral ensemble.
The champion beat-boxer, singer, rapper, performer, composer, playwright (it’s just getting boring now!) and actor Testament, AKA Andy Brooks, begins the Leeds Playhouse and Opera North co-production as just a one-man show. He introduces himself as the titular Orpheus and invites the audience into his record shop.
“Music is everywhere,” he mocks the empty platitude of a woman who’s entered his shop, holding his hands up saying “Yeah, it’s a record shop”. And then he takes us through facets of his life as he stands behind the counter of his failing shop, as frustrating customers enter who he knows have absolutely no intention of buying a record and don’t appreciate vinyl records with the grandeur they should be held in. “Don’t touch the products!” he barks at them.
Read more: Machine Gun Kelly mixes rock with rap in First Direct Arena gig
What we’re witnessing is that all too relatable feeling of a monotonous routine, being world weary and jaded by the universe as it passes us on by, as Orpheus watches through the parochial scope of his record shop.
He drops so many references into Leeds - this is the ultimate Leeds tragicomedy. Like how the main character is from East Leeds, you can just imagine a the challenges he’s faced growing up in deprived areas like either Harehills or Seacroft. Or being transported as a spectral figure in the back of a taxi as it ploughs through a drizzly morning in Boar Lane, on its way towards the Calls.
A group of young girls (a trio of offending shop visitors) arguing outside chippy Nash’s. Living with his ex-girlfriend in a flat in Burley, a transitory area of Leeds where young people tend to live for a short period. The sun rising on Call Lane, an image many walking through a rain-soaked Leeds city centre, will have no trouble conjuring up as we navigate our forbidding lives.
There’s quite a lot to chew on, and it's all too easy to get lost while so much is going on. As the play progresses, Testament feeds us little morsels of references and plot hints as he layers in the character development, backstory and cavalcade of side characters. As this all unfolds, ensemble members join the ever more impressive production as the drama and heartbreak builds, at points to an unrelenting level.
It becomes increasingly clear that Orpheus has had his heart broken by a woman who left him. This is where the parallels with the famous Greek tragedy become clearer. It feels more like a spiritual successor to the famous story which sees our musical hero enter the underworld to save his late love Eurydice. The musician is granted by god of the underworld Hades to take Eurydice back but he’s given one condition, she must follow him and he must not under any circumstances look back to see if she’s there.
Testament has taken loose threads of this myth and woven it into his own modern-day yarn of a Leeds every-man struggling to move on, to move forward. “Don’t look back,” he repeats to himself in moments of the play when he has to spur himself on, admit he has a problem and give up with the self-pity. And of course, the music is so central to the themes of this show, how “music is everywhere”, as it evokes feelings of sorrow, adulation and monotony.
And when the show came to its exhilarating conclusion, the audience applauded in a standing ovation to show their appreciation for the hard work of the MC, his music ensemble, and behind the scenes creatives directors Aletta Colling, Amy Leach who helped devise this breath-taking piece of theatre. Testament had to hold back the tears as he thanked the audience for coming.
The show is truly a love-letter to the city of Leeds and its vibrant music scene. It’s only being shown at Leeds Playhouse for one more day, which in itself is a tragedy. To find out more and buy tickets visit the Leeds Playhouse website.
To find out the latest big event news in our city you can visit our Best in Leeds homepage. There you will also find a guide to great things to do in Leeds.
Read next:
- We got to see world-renowned Sistine Chapel in Leeds without going all the way to Italy
- We tried Leeds' new bubble tea cafe where people queue out of the door to give it a try
- Leeds Little Bao Boy takeaway review: The perfect bar snack to go with a pint
- We went to Leeds' most famous Italian restaurant to see if it's gone downhill
- Yokohama review: Leeds restaurant wows with Instagram worthy dishes and colossal portions
