AUDIENCES have been left delighted by the seasonal offering at Manchester’s Royal Exchange - The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart.

The show, which runs until next Saturday, is according to its director Debbie Hannan “a completely different mad folk tale thing”.

It’s probably the best description you’ll find for the play told in rhyming verses and featuring live music throughout. It’s the story of Prudencia, an academic specialising in folklore who gets snowed in with some of her colleagues at the winter solstice. What starts off as a party atmosphere starts to become increasingly stranger with Prudencia heading into the dark side following an encounter with the devil.

“It’s a really alternative offering over the festive season,” said Debbie, “and that in itself is appealing. It’s not a musical but it has songs. At times is a ridiculous comedy which literally takes you to hell and back; it’s fundamentally entertaining but also very different.”

Picture:Johan Persson

Picture:Johan Persson

Debbie first saw the play, written by David Greig, during its debut run in Scotland 10 years ago when it was performed in pubs rather than theatres and which quickly gained a cult following.

“It’s a epic play that really goes places,” she said, “and I always wanted to see what would happen if you took it to a larger space.

“The Royal Exchange is perfect as it has that intimacy to it. You can mix intimate moments with epic moments and really suits this play. It is a great storytelling space and as we rely on the audience coming along with us for the ride it’s a total joy to be working in it.”

Although Strange Undoing could be seen as very Scottish, the themes and the presentation have shown it has a mass appeal.

“David Greig even wrote is a new line at the beginning of the play to make it clear it was a show for Manchester audiences too,” said Debbie. “The Scottish way of thinking has a place in Manchester. which I think is down to an alignment of a sense of humour and a readiness to accept something that’s different.”

ODD COUPLE: Joanne Thomson as Prudencia and Paul Tinto as the Devil and (below) Paul Tinto leads the cast in a singalong (Pictures: Johan Persson)

ODD COUPLE: Joanne Thomson as Prudencia and Paul Tinto as the Devil and (below) Paul Tinto leads the cast in a singalong (Pictures: Johan Persson)

Although she had seen a number of productions at the Royal Exchange, this was the first time that Debbie has directed at the theatre.

“When I’m working in a theatre I always challenge myself to make every bit of it come alive,” she said. “There shouldn’t be any bit of the stage you haven’t touched by the end.”

With such a flexible space on offer, the Royal Exchange certainly challenged Debbie and her creative team, not helped by restrictions enforced by the ongoing Covid crisis.

Picture:Johan Persson

Picture:Johan Persson

“I wanted the work to have an anarchic feeling,” she said, “and it is there thanks to cast. In the current situation you can’t use the tools you would normally use like getting in and among the audience. That was off the table so cast worked triple hard to work with every part of the audience. We had to find new solutions and we did very successfully.

“Most of time I work with new writing where things are constantly being changed in the room. It was unusual for me that the play already existed but I still approached it in the same way. It’s a live thing. That adaptability and shifting something to make the most of the moment - that’s the gig as a director and what I love.”

Strange Undoing has very much been a team effort and Debbie is quick to praise both the actors and technical teams for the support they have given.

Picture:Johan Persson

Picture:Johan Persson

“Good theatre is a piece of collective action,” she said. “It’s all about people coming together. As director you can have a vision but you don’t have to be a dictator. It’s about working with everyone to get the best results.

“I think some people who come along start off a bit unsure but by the end they love it which I think is the right journey to go on. It’s the mark of a good show when people find lots of things in it.”

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart is at Manchester’s Royal Exchange until Saturday, January 15. Details from www.royalexchange.co.uk