By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Saturday 21 October (matinee), runs through 11 November 2023 RUNTIME: 75 minutes (no interval)

We’re here in our front row seat at this 240-capacity venue because we loved Memon in Richard Hawley’s Standing At The Sky’s Edge for which she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Olivier.

• Read on for reasons including why Memon shows tremendous promise as a writer and performer

Writing in the programme Memon says: ‘Manic Street Creature is a concept album musical, that tracks the love story of 2 musicians and their struggle to look after their own and each other’s mental health.

‘I wrote this show during the pandemic, a time in particular when a lot of people were struggling with their mental health. I had no idea how to deal with what I was going through, and writing this show was a form of release and catharsis.

‘I didn’t know there was such a term as ‘secondary traumatic stress’, which essentially means ingesting someone else’s trauma and making it your own.

‘I often see mental health told from the perspective of the person going through a crisis, but very rarely the perspective of the carers and the support network around them. And yet, it is something so many people go through.’

Memon plays Ria who flees the north for Camden where she works with her band to complete a new album whose songs reflect her relationship with Daniel who has manic depression, or bipolar disorder, who she struggles to help through the ups and downs of therapy and medication.

Manic Street Creature is presented in the round as gig theatre with multi-instrumentalist Memon playing guitars and keys, Harley Johnston as Raz on drums, bass, double bass, guitar, keyboard and ukulele and Rachel Barnes as Heidi on cello.

It’s a simple yet effective set-up with worn rugs evoking the feel of the studio as the songs explain the journey (On My Way), the challenges of a difficult upbringing (Absent Father), the vulnerability of love (Tell Me Your Secrets I Love You) and the difficulties of mental health (Souls On The Precipice).

The conceit is that our narrator is a songwriter and performer and we only ever see her side of the story and we’re never exactly sure where memory ends and reality begins.

It’s a small detail but we absolutely adore the thought that has gone into the record sleeve-like design of the programme cover and its contents are well thought out and to the point.

We said of Memon in Standing At The Sky’s Edge: ‘The cast includes the extremely talented Maimuna Memon (Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert, Regent’s Park Theatre) and her Amy Winehouse-esque rendition of 1 of the show’s very many highlights, Open Up Your Door, is so good we get actual chills.’

The material here is never quite so compelling but it’s a brilliant showcase for both her performing and writing skills and the evocation of escaping something only to be inextricably drawn back to it unknowingly is very well drawn.

The contradiction of medication providing the numbness and stability its recipient needs but also the penalties paid by those around its recipient after its administration also felt vivid, despairing and yet heartbreakingly honest.

Memon then is a huge talent and although we suspect she’ll go on to even greater acclaim and to write much better realised material we would recommend this as showing tremendous promise and will definitely seek out that album.

• Main picture via Facebook courtesy Southwark Playhouse Tickets
• Have you been to a Southwark Playhouse show before or seen Maimuna Memon? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
• Enjoyed this review? Follow monstagigz on Twitter @monstagigz, email neildurham3@gmail.com and check us out on Instagram and Facebook