Review: Happiness at Northern Stage, Newcastle

Jun 27 2009 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

Happiness at Northern Stage until tonight

I WAS in need of a bit of cheering up yesterday. Weren’t we all?

A grey, wet, miserable day and a muted atmosphere in the office among reporters writing their tributes as Michael Jackson fans.

I braved the rain to sit in on an afternoon read-through at Northern Stage of Happiness, prior to last night’s opening performance.

Written by Susan Mulholland, it tackles the little-thought-about question of just what makes us happy, combining real-life answers – as given in a series of workshops by local people, some of whom, very touchingly, read out their happy memories – with an ultimately uplifting narrative about attempts by a group of friends to find the gift of “happy” that their mate Tim wants for his birthday.

My own question at the end was, why is this running for just two nights? In little over an hour, it cajoles, humours, inspires and, by the end – at a balloon-strewn birthday party – thoroughly succeeds in cheering us up.

And does it reveal the ultimate answer to what is happiness?

Well, there are several of them apparently: cheery, affecting, sometimes thought-provoking, and all delivered through a mix of singing, dancing and comedy and with infectious enthusiasm by a young cast from Newcastle College.

There’s even a scientific answer. But many are simple pleasures. How about a host of happy songs? Or a bottle of Corona, a lime and a knife?

Go along tonight if you need cheering up – or even if you don’t. It might prompt youto take stock, keep calm and carry on. At the very least you’ll come out with a smile on your face. I did.

Wish the rain would stop though...

Barbara Hodgson