Content Warnings: Coarse language, adult themes, references to sexual assault, and suicide.
Science fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, and a missing sister. Pomona has it all.
With a well-oiled cast who together bring the desolate Blade Runner-esque world to life, the audience is sucked into the mystery of the missing sister.
“Ollie? Like, Oliver? Like, a boy’s name?”
We follow the stories of multiple characters in Manchester; as they manoeuvre through the story the characters watch one another’s performances from the stairs and behind the audience in the cloisters. Are they judging each other? Observing from afar? Making a point of the interconnections between the characters? You decide.
The jagged, raw emotions from each character as they navigate their lives, their connections, and their mistakes is palpable, and flows naturally from the performers. The stress, fear, and love emanate from the stage – no performer holds back, fully immersing themselves and their audience in their character’s storyline.
The costumes bring a balanced mix of dreary and science fiction, looking natural on the performers while adding to the worldbuilding of this alternate Manchester. Each costume appeared carefully considered and tailored for the character, while managing to encapsulate the atmosphere of the alternate Manchester and the performance. There are few costume changes, and each of them were smooth, blending into the story seamlessly.
The same can be said for the set design and the set changes – well-chosen pieces that showcase the ambience of Manchester, and seamless changes undertaken by the performers. The set changes were efficient, and elegantly doubled as an opportunity for the performers to drape themselves in their next observation location for the scene. The pieces doubled as a backdrop for the city, never straying far from the stage, and some contained multiple uses, changing from a bed to a desk and back again – a very tasteful use of the pieces at hand without overwhelming the performers or audience.
The audience was enraptured from the first lowering of the lights – LED strip lighting lined the stage and emitted a soft glow of anticipation. With torches being used by the performers as well as the lighting team, there was no shortage of creative use. This extends to the use of sound, as they work hand-in-hand with the lighting team to not only set the scene, but fully immerse the audience.
Pomona jumps forward and back in time to tell the story, with the mystery of the missing sister unfolding as the characters’ connections and personal gripes unfold. Be prepared to walk away with questions, and maybe even a desire to play Dungeons and Dragons.
To book tickets to Pomona, please visit https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1476481.
Photographer: Sophie Livingston-Pearce & Alice Smith
