Audiences at the Old Electric were confronted with the complex themes of emotional suppression and toxic masculinity in an acclaimed show that elevates northern voices.
Two men walked into a bar. This opening scene from Toxic, which came to The Old Electric on the 22nd of November, might sound like the setup to a bad joke. In this instance it was no laughing matter. Minutes before arriving at the pub, one man had coaxed the other away from the railings of a motorway bridge.
Toxic is a creation of Divide Culture Co – a theatre company dedicated to elevating northern voices – and has picked up a number of awards since its first production. The play ambitiously attempts to tackle themes of emotional suppression and toxic masculinity by following two men, Andy (Patrick Price) and Jim (Adam Cryne), as they navigate the breakdown of Andyโs marriage and subsequent poor mental health. Itโs a timely production to host on the week of International Menโs Day given that 4,506 men in England and Wales committed suicide in 2023.
With a subject matter as serious as suicide it is easy to think that Toxic could only be a solemn affair throughout. Yet through Price and Cryne’s performances the audience was treated to sincere representations of male interaction and a fair share of โbanterโ. Even Jimโs flawed and laddish friend Camo, played by Ross Thompson, provided a mixture of comic relief, strong opinions and very occasionally, genuine compassion.
Whilst Andyโs situation is thoroughly interrogated throughout the play, Jim remained somewhat of a stranger. He switches between light hearted joker to concerned friend, then again into violent drunk.
The backdrop for Toxic was staged in three sections. Andyโs home in disarray and an equally chaotic pub table was dissected by the ever present threat of the motorway bridge. Though the set was minimalist, it sat well inside the vast interior of The Old Electric, where areas not in play could be hidden by darkness.
Whilst Andyโs situation is thoroughly interrogated throughout the play, Jim remained somewhat of a stranger. He switches between light hearted joker to concerned friend, then again into violent drunk. Those around him seem to either endorse his behaviour or ignore it. Even the script itself seems to skirt around Jimโs motives and avoids probing the incident. In the play’s closing scene it was Jim who stood alone on the motorway bridge.
Toxic is not perfectly formed and opens up more questions than it answers. What it does manage to do is open doors to vital conversations and I certainly hope to see more work of this calibre in Blackpool.
If you, or someone you know, is having suicidal thoughts:
Contact your local 24-hour NHS urgent mental health helpline
Ask for an urgent appointment with your GP
Go straight to the nearest A&E department
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