Stars are Fire
By Francesca Waite
The Lowry, 17 January 2013
A family without a mother, a widower and his daughter, try to begin anew in a new town.
For Carly (Emma Clarke), there is also the wrench of leaving friends behind and starting at a strange school. She’s still hurting from the loss of her mother, not getting along with her father Neil (Steven Hillman), friendless… then along comes an angelic intermediary in the unlikely form of her cousin Lou (Richie Gibson).
Never crass or showy or overly melodramatic, though with a few explosive moments to be sure, this comes across as a nuanced, deftly written drama about the cost of bereavement and the price of renewal. There are terrific performances from the whole cast, not least from Emma Clarke, here making her professional debut.
Stars are Fire is showing again at The Lowry on 19 January, details here.
Jildy Sauce 