‘We watched a human being go through something that had a real cost; which is, for me, the epitome of the theatrical art.’
‘Archie Whyld’s liminal writing, performed with acute precision, is revealing, funny, and deeply felt. This form of testimony is vital to understanding Britain’s contemporary class divide, deep-held resentments, and desire for change.’
‘Both in concept and in performance, Attention Must Be Paid challenges the concept of an ‘authentic self’ and explores the ways in which identity, like memory, is often experienced as objective although, upon further consideration, is revealed to be constructed.’
‘This piece is a refreshingly candid and raw exploration of grief and adolescence in a small northern town in the 1980s.’
‘Archie Whyld’s Attention Must be Paid is one of the most vulnerable and honest monologues that I’ve witnessed in a long time. Stripped back of glamour, pretence and conventional theatricality – Whyld plays himself in his simple heartfelt truth. His work offers intriguing and nuanced insights into the relationship between space and grief and the complexity of memory. As we follow Whyld through his hometown of Ripley, the audience is taken back to their own childhood homes, experiencing the shared grief and nostalgia that comes with trying to return to that which is lost.’
