Pavilion theatre, Manchester
After Bj�rk's Biophilia giant ear trumpets and Damon Albarn's opera, the Manchester international festival has similarly jolted the former Beautiful South and Housemartins singer far from his comfort zone. Billed as "one of the longest pop songs ever" ? it's actually several linked together ? The 8th is a look at society's evils via the vehicle of the seven deadly sins. Each sin has a different singer, which means the likes of King Creosote, aka Kenny Anderson, and Cherry Ghost crooner Simon Aldred step up from chairs on stage and from behind masks, to deliver Heaton's lyrics about pride, gluttony and lust.
Between songs, The Wire actor Reg E Cathey delivers playwright Ch� Walker's crazed narrative on corruption and downfall in gravel-voiced, fire and brimstone preacher style. Alas, Cathey's unfortunate injury from a falling lighting rig on the opening night means it's hard to decide whether his writhing in the pulpit is a dramatic device ? illustrating his character's anguished struggled for redemption after shooting someone in the face ? or real winces of agony.
Cathey is a trouper, but the lighting obscures the stage backdrops that introduce each sin and the sound system renders the ensemble's heavy soul and rock gospel uncomfortably loud, neither of which, of course, helps the production.
You end up struggling to make sense of what it means. Are we being told that any sin can be forgiven, or being warned to carry earplugs? When things settle, Envy ? sung by former Beautiful South singer Jacqui Abbott ? is the pick of the tunes, and Pride brilliantly uses modern football, and fans "caught between the club shop and the gates", to illustrate what comes before a fall. Heaton finally emerges to reveal the 8th, and modern, deadly sin: Gossip, which seems particularly prescient as the phone hacking scandal erupts outside.
The second half sees the singers tackle the hits Heaton says his ageing voice no longer likes. Aldred's marvellous, wistfully crooned Sail This Ship Alone suggests he should follow the song's advice and just tour with a guitar. Heaton and Abbott's vocal reunion after 11 years (on the recent This House) sees their voices locking together effortlessly. Even if it means re-engaging with the comfort zone, they really should do an album of duets.
Uma Thurman Alice Dodd Kate Walsh Autumn Reeser Camilla Belle
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