Review: LAST NIGHT I DREAMT THAT SOMEBODY LOVED ME, Tron Theatre

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me is a new piece of gig theatre created by director, writer and performer Ben Harrison and musician and composer David Paul Jones. It mixes music from the 80s with stories of being a teenager in that decade.

Harrison and Jones are joined onstage by Emery Hunter who plays various characters and is the BSL interpreter and Justyna Jablonska on cello. 

The music is the highlight of the show, with a mix of 80s cover versions such as "Like A Prayer" and "Smalltown Boy" alongside original material. All the musicians are very talented and it makes for a pleasant 70 minutes. 

The piece covers crucial coming-of-age moments such as first crushes, P.E. at school and finding your own identity. Our central character feels like an outsider but acknowledges that any hassle isn't exactly a hate crime, he's just a skinny boy wearing floral shirts.

Harrison's stories don't quite make the emotional connection that they should with the audience. While he seems very genuine, he stumbles over a few lines and it affects the impact of his delivery. 

It's not a bad way to spend an evening but you can't help but feel there is a wealth of more engaging stories from this era that could be told.

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