REVIEW: Legend, Lantern Theatre

Legend marked the debut production from Lady Parts theatre, a new company dedicated to creating strong roles for women. Six short plays all on the titular theme spanned melodrama and comedy and proved a strong showcase for the fledgling group, which was well supported by a sell-out audience.Melodrama Sirens, written by Laura-Kate Barrow and performed by Laura Danielle Sharp (pictured), was a modern take on the concept of forbidden love and loss. Two-hander We Three Queens, by Kat Boon and performed by Jackie Jones and Rachael Wallis, was a bittersweet tale of an unexpected reunion between a  dying mother and the daughter she abandoned in childhood.Ruth Hartnoll's inventive and red-blooded Medusa, performed by Nuala Maguire, offered a different perspective on the Greek myth of the mortal banished and turned into a monster by the goddess Athena after being caught in flagrante with Poseidon.Wolf, which found one of the three little pigs and Red Riding Hood (Becky Brooks and Rachel Wallis again) killing time at the Jobcentre after their misfortunes, was a daft and enjoyable short by Brian Charity, while Mark Till's You'll Never Walk Alone, performed by Zoe Vaux, was similar to Sirens with its themes of paranoia, regret and loneliness.Finally, Jackie Jones and Nuala Maguire, who both had great stage presence, returned as husband and wife in Hayley Greggs's fairy tale-style Wood.The theme worked well, bringing out strong writing and performances across the board and introducing some names and faces that it will be worth keeping an eye out for in future. A great evening of new talent.