'Temper' at the 3 Minute Theatre, Manchester

Temper is a play currently running at the 3 Minute Theatre in Manchester as part of the 24:7 Theatre festival.

We open with a man named Calum, with his bags packed about to leave his Oldham flat. After leaving a ‘Dear John’ voicemail for his older girlfriend Debs, Calum prepares to make his innocuous escape from his bleak life, only to be foiled by annoying neighbour Mick and a leak. To make things worse Debs turns up, but a dead phone battery means she has not yet got Calum’s message.

Whilst this short drama is not excessively ‘geek’ themed it does explore a situation which is somewhat common amongst us geeks. Calum is not happy with his life; he spends hours playing a video game and is settled into an unambitious and tedious routine. But instead of actively changing it he sums it up as ‘my choice’. Inevitably the situations we find ourselves in are the result of the choices we make. However, what this story highlights is Calum’s inability to do anything about it. He is lost and angry at the world and the situation he has put himself in, but anchored by his cowardice. He initially chooses to run away but you get the feeling that his life would be much the same as this one, just a different location.

This is a simple production that focuses on just three characters. Calum, played by Andrew Madden, although a little more buff than I feel the character would be, plays the role convincingly. Calum’s confusion and emotional turmoil is well portrayed and I particularly appreciated the nervous stammering, that I to suffer from when I encounter a situation out of my normal routine. Mick, the typical Manc neighbour is portrayed by Taran Knight and has a dual role. Initially it is obvious he is the comic relief in this piece, but his character’s inane repetitive ramblings reflect the monotonous nature of Calum’s life. Taran manages to pull both these roles off incredibly well. Jane Leedbetter gives an admirable performance as the unwittingly, about to be dumped, older girlfriend; a mum wiser from her experiences and the only person who can open Calum’s eyes to the truth.

The story is short but effective. It is the recognisable tale of a man; frustrated by his life with little motivation and lacking the bravery to do anything about it choosing to spend his boredom escaping in a video game, something I’m sure many of us can relate to. Calum refers to sadness and depression as nothing more than part of being human; he has accepted his menial role and hates the world for it.

I wanted to see more of this man’s story; I wanted a Hollywood happy ending, I didn’t get it. But rightly so, because that would have diminished from the point of this drama. Instead I was left wondering if Calum would ever take control of his life and I came away with a little more appreciation for those stuck in a similar situation.