Reviews round-up of Manic Street Creature starring Maimuna Memon – London reviews

"Maimuna Memon’s performance oozes warmth and charisma"

"Maimuna Memon’s semi-autobiographical show is exemplary gig theatre"

"Gig theatre seems to be springing up everywhere you look right now, but it can be a tricky genre to get right."

"... this revival at the Kiln, directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward, is impressively fine-tuned. The elements exist in perfect harmony and we sink into them like a warm bath."

"It’s hypnotic. Memon is in complete control of her musically complex songs"

"As a concept, it shares some DNA with Lily Allen’s more recent West End Girl in its dissection of a romantic relationship through song, although it’s less fizzy pop, more soulful substance."

"Memon is a strong vocalist whose range seems to know no bounds, even if her songs are relatively uniform in style.... But it’s Memon’s performance, oozing warmth and charisma, that makes this exceptionally crafted piece of gig theatre soar. "

"A powerful lead performance but piles on the clichés"

"This showcase for Maimuna Memon at the Kiln Theatre is a personal tale undermined by the writing"

"This gig-style piece about the impact that mental health and past trauma can have on a relationship is a showcase for Maimuna Memon."

"Memon is an unquestionably impressive quadruple-threat: a gifted tunesmith and multi-instrumentalist with a commanding stage presence and a rich, captivatingly emotive voice."

"It might, though, have been useful if someone else had cast an eye over the lyrics and the narrative, since director Kirsty Patrick Ward seems to have had little influence."

"Memon has the same blended heritage as Ria and has described this as the most personal story she has created, if not strictly autobiographical. She certainly invests each song with heart and feeling."

"But there’s no escaping that the storyline piles one cliché on another, and the way the show addresses mental health issues is earnest but trite."

"Supremely talented rising star Maimuna Memon brings back her gig theatre show about a musician struggling with her partner’s mental health"

"... Memon has since shown herself to be a truly formidable talent."

"The engine of the show is its form, being built around a cycle of Memon’s folky, jazzy songs, with her earnest, ethereal singing voice and emotive lyrics wilfully juxtaposed with her blunt, sweary Lancastrian vowels when speaking."

"Ultimately it’s a show that ticks a few boxes very well, and Memon is a hugely endearing, charismatic presence. But I didn’t love the music"

"This is obviously an incredibly subjective take but I guess the problem with Kirsty Patrick War’s stripped-back gig-theatre show is that there’s not much else to focus on if you’re not feeling the songs."

"Manic Street Creature is a calling card for Memon’s considerable array of talents."

"Manic Street Creature is a tooth-achingly earnest song-cycle about the effects of poor mental health on the support system."

"In terms of the structure, there’s a suggestion right at the beginning and end that we’re witnessing a recording session, so there’s little else occurring on stage. This works well enough; the musicians strolling about and swapping instruments freely, keeping the audience’s eye sufficiently focused."

"The music, however, is winsome to the point of insipid, and the songs rely aggressively on repetition rather than catchy hooks"

"I wonder if this would be better suited to a YA audience. Despite the protagonist “hurtling towards 30”, it feels much like a coming-of-age story, learning who you are in the big city, and the emotional journey is dramatic but simple."