York Theatre Royal
A mix of music, dance, comedy and poetry delivers a bittersweet reminder of what lockdown deprived us of – and a joyous celebration of live performance
On the screen at the back of the stage, familiar images flicker: the river, streets in the city centre, the allotments. York Theatre Royal’s reopening event is a resolutely local affair, grounded in the city to which its audience – myself included – has largely been confined since March last year. A mixture of theatre, music, comedy, dance and poetry, peppered with references to local places, it’s a catalogue of York’s creativity.
Consisting of 22 short performances, Love Bites was originally conceived for a scrapped Valentine’s Day reopening. But it works just as well as a tribute to the loves that have sustained us through lockdown. The acts represent many kinds: romantic love, parental love, friendship, self-love, love of place, love of language. Maurice Crichton delivers a heartfelt love letter to the theatre itself, while Bridget Foreman’s 5 Minute Call is an ode to us, the audience, and the experiences we have together in this space. These are two of the evening’s most moving performances, offering a bittersweet reminder of what we’ve missed while theatres have been dark.
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