A Taste of Honey @ Royal Exchange

Just been to see the ( almost ) sell out A Taste of Honey at the Royal Exchange Theatre. 

This is probably the most hyped play I've every seen. Everyone and their mama wants to go see it... along with Les Denis and half the cast of Coronation Street. 

It's 50 years since it was first performed, so this should be significant for this Salford based play. 

Unfortunately it's been allowed to date quite badly, and is just a bit mish-mashy. The musical direction is mostly great, but there are a few really odd and incongruous choices. 

It has brilliant moments, when the actors seem to hit this brilliant cadence and unity and it strikes into the heart, but then the next moment it's back to gibbering, bickering nonsense. 

I know that is probably the core of 'kitchen sink', but what was once biting social commentary is now frothy and twee. There far too much of that of elbowy, smug idea of non-existent Mancunian past and identity which colours nearly all discussion of the cities history. 

Anyway, it still has its moments, the high point certainly being the last sequence before the interval AND definitely not the bitter, decrepit last scene.