Northern Rascals’ Sunny Side – 22 April 2026, Rotherham Civic
Review by Claire Stanley.
‘Sunny Side’ Is Northern Rascal’s courageous exploration of what it means to experience challenging mental health in Britain today. Co-directed by (Anna Holmes) and (Sam Ford) this piece narrates ‘K’, an adolescent in a Yorkshire town that has been partially gentrified but still holds “true Yorkshire grit” traditions and Must Do’s. We are met by K in a set (Caitlin Mawhinney) depicting a portion of a room with a lone window, which cleverly converts to the outside world from K’s bedroom, as the story unfolds. K (Angus Bartlett) moves from the get go, his dancing permitting a contemporary feel and showing us day to day drudgery, ground hog day esque, dressed in grey as he expresses his Monday Morning Grey Day. Bartlett, a lyrical mover gives K smooth transitions and then staccato moves that pulse the turmoil in his mind. Accompanying him are voice overs relaying K’s heaviness of mood. They describe “mountains to move”, “start again day” and “grafting”. Credit to the voice actors here (Lamin Touray, Brendan Barclay, Jonathan Aubrey Bentley and Anna Holmes), they deliver the poetic rhyming with concision and relatable northern tones.
This is in contrast with a video projection (Aaron Howell) of K’s early life with mum, at the swimming pool, her coaxing him in the water with promises of “I’ve got you”. It is poignant as there was clear optimism expressed then, but right in the here and now, no one has seemingly “got” K. The background noises of domestic arguments transmit a troubled environment. K’s loneliness is palpable and his reluctant emersion in his trade job that “pays an early grave” is his prison also. We see another reflection of who K is through his lifelong friend ‘Danny’ played by (Ed Mitchell). Mitchell is nimble and coupled with his consummate acting skills he conveys the “cheeky chappie” nature of Danny, a different energy. Danny is at uni, experiencing a contrasting young adult lifestyle to K yet the two characters are still tethered. K needs Danny now more than ever. Danny moves in sync with K and presents their friendship and history, through artistic shadows projected onto the set door, initially stagnant and then picking up momentum. We see their joint pursuits, woven into the choreography, gaming and nights out, but Danny’s world is now well away from his old Yorkshire town, which K cannot relate to. This is heightened by the script (Holmes) where both characters are told to “mind the gap” at the train station, but of course the gap is not just physical. This piece gives prominence to a time when we all maybe outgrew a friendship as a youngster and how this pain or discomfort can be felt at differing levels. Danny asks K if he is alright, he isn’t of course, as the voiceover reminds us that “reality cancels nostalgia”, -their relationship is now delicate.
Danny’s experiences are “sick” and K is regularly describing himself as “scuffed”. Yes, the story is bleak (and a little long too) so the love interest is cued at a relieving time, danced and acted beautifully by (Sophie Thomas). K can finally wear red, the lighting giving red and pink hues, no spotlight necessary (Barnaby Booth). The stark change of tempo and scene is elegantly carried here as an exploration of sexuality is executed. It is deft and imaginative. Thomas participates with Mitchell in complex moves of togetherness, haunting to watch as she angles her steps in tune with the apt lone piano notes. The composition of the music is tasteful and touching throughout, pitched accurately for every scene (Wilfred Kimber). Towards the end when we see all three characters dancing together, the ambience put me in mind of ‘Trainspotting’. The performance expresses how desolate one can feel even in company, especially if one thinks they are not at the same “stage” as their contemporaries. For K his struggle is recognisable by many a young man across God’s Own County, this production offers an accurate and yearning illustration of that. It is worth heavily noting that it is in partnership with Andy’s Man Club who offer an alternative to the script’s traditional suggestion that such young men should “hold thi sens in”. A must see piece.
To read our interview with co-drector Anna Holmes click here.
