Starring Emmerdale’s Samantha Giles, Coronation Street’s Brooke Vincent and TV favourite, Gaynor Faye, who also directs, The Syndicate follows five supermarket employees whose lottery syndicate numbers come in, just as their jobs and livelihoods are under threat.
Will a share of the £24million jackpot make their dreams come true or their nightmares a reality? One thing’s for certain, the win of a lifetime will change the lives, loves and relationships of all the syndicate members… for ever.
Gaynor Faye as Kay displayed great discipline and precision in her character choices. Faye had an excellent approach to the character with each line cleverly weaved with intention. The writing and delivery of this role created a very interesting character. The direction by Faye was cleverly executed – the blocking and set was used in an effective way to drive the story. The character relationships are excellent throughout the play and the rehearsal process is testament to this. At times some of the transitions felt somewhat off-piste. At times the transitions between scenes felt slightly too high energy and out of place for the context of the play itself.
Samantha Giles as Denise was exceptional. Giles had such a warmth to her character, allowing the audience to completely resonate and fall in love with her character’s life. Giles greatest strength was her comedic timing, the delivery of her lines and small movements such as fixing her glasses had the audience in stitches. The audience could only wish we had more of Giles throughout the play as she brought a lightness to the play.
Benedict Shaw as Stuart was fantastic. Shaw had used character development to create a nuanced character, full of flaw and complex emotions. His naturalistic approach to the character drew the audience in, demanding their attention and seeking for them to root for him.
Brooke Vincent as Amy created a visceral reaction from the audience, Vincent’s portrayal of this complicated character was extremely interesting. Vincent cleverly displayed a fine line between the character’s insecurity vs the strengths that she portrays to the outside world. At times Vincent would be slightly subdued but her dedication and approach to the character boded well to the audience.
Oliver Anthony as Jamie had great energy, his commitment to his character was astounding. Anthony completely dedicated himself to the characters ‘live fast die young’ way of life, attacking his role with the same energy.
Rosa Coduri-Fulford as Leanne created a wonderful emotional journey for the character. Coduri-Fulford had a well paced journey and use this well to display the turmoil her character was experiencing.
William Ilkley as Bob had great vocal quality, his approach to his text was excellent. Ilkley gave Bob a great number of interesting character quirks which brought him to life as an extremely humble, down to earth character who the audience stood behind.
Jerome Ngonadi as Newall used his physicality well to add depth to the character. Ngonadi used clever choices in his movement to emphasise the speculation beneath the lines he delivered.
Jane Golding as Annie used physicality to display maturity and class. The storyline of her relationship with Bob led the audience to prejudice over age, however, the status that Golding gave Annie allowed us to see why they would be a good fit. Connor James-Ryan as ensemble created some really intriguing moments in the background of scenes, bringing the audience even further into the world of the play.
The play written by Kay Mellor had great charm, it explored the complexity of human nature. The script had humorous moments throughout and heartwarming characters which resonated with the audience. It was an excellent depiction of the angry young man and escapism which we often see explored in theatre and film. It felt like an original approach to a story which merged classic arc’s and characters that we love.
The Syndicate is a great experience with interesting twists and a humorous script that will take you through a great unexpected journey. The characters are extremely heartwarming and loveable which brings you into the world of the play immediately. The cast and creatives absolutely do the text justice and it’s a fun world to immerse yourself in.
Get your tickets here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-syndicate/theatre-royal-glasgow/calendar/2024-07-03
Theatre Scotland 
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