A Manchester Anthem
A Manchester Anthem has made its way home to the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester following on from performances at the Edinburgh Fringe and Vault Festival. It’s an hour long one man show, following a day in the life of Tommy, a young working-class man from Manchester who has just been accepted to study Law at Oxford University. The story plays out his final 24 hours at home as he says goodbye to his work, home and life in Manchester and celebrates his academic success. It is a fast-paced show which takes the audience on a journey – one that many will find relatable.
The real highlight of the show is the incredible solo show performance from Tom Claxton who takes on the role of Tommy as well as 12 other supporting characters. His transitions between each character are done seamlessly and with clarity. The script was in fact written for him by his friend Nick Dawkins. The cleverly written script engages the audience with much of the dialogue, narrated by Tommy and directed towards audience members. It makes the show stand out in the sense that the audience is made to feel involved, almost treated as an extra character in the show. Whilst the coming-of-age story is poignant at times with hard hitting themes, a comedic edge balances this throughout, again executed effortlessly by Claxton. The dance numbers, in particular, are used to great effect, through both carefree ‘dance like nobody is watching’ scenes to slow motion dance sequences.
A simple, minimalistic set design utilising only simple boxes, symbolic of Tommy’s moving away from home, brings the focus to the script and delivery of dialogue. Clever visual effect with lighting – both within the boxes and from LED strips on the floor, support the simple yet effective use of staging to clearly deliver both scene changes and tone of the scene. Background music used within the show could be considered as distracting but at times, is used to transport the audience from scene to scene with the characters. The music is integral to the story and the way music can have such powerful links to relationships, emotions and life events – one particular song repeatedly used to emphasise the concept of home and comfort.
Whilst fitting to have seen the show in Manchester where its roots lie, this fast-paced tale is worth a watch when it heads to Riverside Studios in London for a three-week run.
This show was reviewed on the 31st July 2025 at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester where it runs until the 2nd August 2025. Tickets available here: A Manchester Anthem – Hope Mill Theatre
The show then heads to the Riverside Studios, London from the 19th August - 13th September 2025. Tickets available here: A Manchester Anthem | Riverside Studios
You can watch our interview with Tom Claxton here: https://youtu.be/T5tDb4ttcjM?si=GZ9YuCDD5frkCSjx
Review written by Gabrielle & Rachael Groves
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Photo credit : Flood Ltd
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