Stage Review - Do I Love You?

 

Emilio Encinoso-Gil (Kyle) Martha Godber (Sally) and Chloe McDonald (Natalie) 
Do I Love You?
Derby Theatre March 2025
Photograph by Ian Hodgson

⭐⭐⭐

Do I Love You?

Writer and Director John Godber

About Northern Soul

Northern Soul: an underground music and dance movement popular with the 1970s youth, where American soul (a type that was often less UK mainstream played) along with the Motown sound, really struck a chord for those who took soul music more seriously. With a unique dance style to boot, consisting of shuffling and foot sliding, half turns and spins, with the interjection of karate high kicks and backdrops, Northern Soul was a pop phenomenon for many.

Back in the day clubs and venues across the UK played Northern Soul and held Northern Soul nights and to this day, old schoolers (aka Northerns) attend regular Northern Soul events i.e. Cleethorpes and Blackpool.

Overview

It is Hull and the present day, so post Covid and what drives the subject of Northern Soul is the series of nostalgic recollections of misspent youth from a grandmother in ill health. Gran has a fabulous record collection of soul music too. Granddaughter, Sally, relays her Gran's stories and compares her own feelings of being under privileged and lacking in opportunities for a good life. Sally's bestie, Kyle and their mutual friend, Natalie also feel the country is in a worse condition and that it does a disservice for many of its younger generation who fall through the cracks.

When the trio find themselves one night with a Northern Soul community, they are hooked by the oldies still doing the thing they have always loved. The friends decide to use all one can attach to Northern Soul to discover hidden talents within themselves and are able to use Northern Soul creatively and as an act of escapism.

cast of three Do I Love You?

Derby Theatre March 2025

Photography by Ian Hodgson

Comment

The public in attendance at Derby Theatre consisted of mainly people over sixty, a few dressed in their Fred Perry tees (without the baggies). It was quite astonishing to observe the enthusiastic reception and by how much both men and women were equally loving this play.

Much foot tapping, finger clicking and people quietly singing along, some in the front rows were responding to the action on stage by shouting out comments which implied that 'they'd been there and got the t-shirt'. It is one of those plays where the critic observes the audience as much as the stage performance.

Obvious then, that John Godber was able to fine line pinpoint his target audience when he created this play. 

The versatile, Martha Godber as Sally on the Derby Theatre stage once again is a skilled performer with a special talent for dance. Chloe McDonald and Emilio Encinoso-Gil are Natalie and Kyle respectively and both give confident performances full of energy and humour.

Negative comment: if one attaches the canon ruling as to what makes a good play some elements of Do I Love You? misses a beat. Where there is heart and sentiment and points to make it is lost in dialogue that is sometimes rather cringeworthy and actions are over cooked rising the boredom levels higher every time the format(s) is repeated.

Positive comment: The choice of recorded soul track material is one of the best highlights of this play. Hundreds of old school northerns and Northern Soul die hards around the country will definitely enjoy, it's a show for you all.

**ENDS**

Review by theatre critic, Debra Hall who attended the Do I Love You? performance at Derby Theatre, on Wednesday 26 March at 7.30pm

REFERENCES

Derby Theatre Do I Love You? downloadable programme

Derby Theatre image request

(27 March 2025)

Online

Derby Theatre Do I Love You?

https://derbytheatre.co.uk/event/do-i-love-you/

Hall, D. Stage Review Home Girl

https://notcompulsory.blogspot.com/2022/07/stage-review-home-girl-at-derby-theatre.html

Mazeys The Story of Northern Soul

https://www.mazeys.co.uk/blogs/news/the-story-of-northern-soul-in-the-uk