Review: Bears Bears Bears at Contact Theatre Manchester

“…challenges your thoughts and emotions…”

Bears Bears Bears by Natalie Beech, Contact Theatre, Manchester

By Claire Walmsley

Bears, Bears, Bears at the Contact Theatre is billed as ‘a wild and electric drama’ and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

The Contact Theatre has a number of performing spaces and Bears, Bears, Bears was in Space 2 — an intimate space with two rows of seats around all edges of the square room. The minimalist scenery was a campfire, wood chippings and several logs. The programme did not give much away, other than that after committing a terrible act with her partner Jake, Jen becomes obsessed with the viral internet survey where women choose to meet a bear in the woods rather than a man. I was intrigued to see how the story would play out.

There was no gentle build-up; we were thrown right into the action in the first scene. Jen enters covered in blood and Jake appears minutes later with hands covered in dirt. Evidently a body has been buried. From then on, the scenes are snippets of their lives, and you’re left piecing together clues from conversations. Hardly anything is explicitly explained. Whilst there is clearly a plot, it jumps around chronologically without explanation of when or where each scene is set. This was a little confusing at times; however, this was purposely done to build suspense and intrigue. The ending made it all much clearer, but it took a bit of thinking to get my head round.

The cast was small — only three characters — but they were all played brilliantly. Jenna Sian O’Hara (who played Jen) was hauntingly captivating, and her monologues were feverish and electric. Jordan Akkaya played Jake (Jen’s partner) equally well. His raw and visceral performance was etched with anguish. It perfectly balanced Jen’s manic, unhinged energy. Although Jodie, played by Shifaa Arfan, wasn’t on stage often, she brought a positive, optimistic energy that was instantly likeable — a breath of fresh air between the tense moments. She played her beautifully and made her incredibly relatable. The amount of emotional energy, grit and determination required to play these roles must have been enormous, and the dedication to their performances was evident.

The director, Connor Goodwin, did an extraordinary job of utilising the floor, numerous doors and subtle lighting and music. Natalie Beech’s script was refreshingly naturalistic. There were elements of emotional turmoil but also moments of dark humour that were expertly woven in. It felt less like a play and more like eavesdropping on natural, raw, emotionally charged conversations. It worked incredibly well with the intimate venue.

In the programme, Natalie Beech said that she didn’t have all the answers about the men vs bear debate. Instead, she hoped the play would get you asking questions yourself. It certainly did that. I am still not sure whether I like Jen and Jake, and I spent the journey home thinking quite deeply about the themes of the play and how it made me feel (be warned, it’s not a particularly comfortable feeling!). I have more questions than answers, but that, for me, is what made the play really unique and profound.

In short, Bears, Bears, Bears is manic, unflinching and deeply impactful. It’s a play that challenges your thoughts and emotions and will leave you questioning yourself long after it’s finished.

Bears Bears Bears plays at Contact Theatre Manchester until Saturday 16 May. Tickets are available here.

Claire Walmsley is a children’s author who pays the bills by teaching computer science to primary school pupils in Manchester. When she’s not writing, reading or fixing all the broken laptops at work, she likes to run and hike. As a long-term sufferer of Crohn’s Disease, she is always trying to inspire the next generation of chronic illness sufferers. You can find her first picture book here. Or follow Claire Walmsley – Children’s Author on all the socials.