The Brown Suite at Manchester Opera House

There were a few people asking, “What’s this about, then?” as I arrived at Manchester’s Opera House for The Brown Suite.

By the end, with the audience on its feet, the answer seemed fairly clear: a very good night out.

And what a soundtrack to have one to.

Created, directed and choreographed by Nahum McLean and Darius Drooh, the duo behind BlacBrik, The Brown Suite takes us into 1970s New York, where music, relationships and the dancefloor bring people together. James Brown might be the name that draws you in, but Etta James and Sam Cooke are part of the musical mix too.

There were songs I knew but hadn’t heard in ages — those lovely moments of recognition when something starts playing and you remember just how much you love it.

Put that music together with a wonderful nightclub atmosphere, lighting and staging that served the performers beautifully, and there was plenty to enjoy before you even got into the detail of the dancing.

Stories written on their faces

I’m no dance expert, but one thing I couldn’t help noticing was the dancers’ expressions. Their faces worked with the steps, not separately from them.

A look, a reaction or a change of expression helped you understand what was happening between the characters.

That mattered particularly in a sensitive relationship scene, performed with real emotional care.

Making a relationship feel convincing without words is no small task. Here, the movement and the performances gave it room to register.

Elsewhere, there was that wonderful nightclub energy: a feeling of people coming together, letting go and enjoying the music. The dancing was hugely impressive, but it was the character and personality within it that kept drawing my attention.

An audience brought together by music

I always like to find out what the people around me make of a show. On this occasion, the conversations were almost as revealing as the applause.

An older couple I spoke to loved the music. Younger audience members thought it had simply looked like a cool thing to come along to. From the questions I heard beforehand, there were clearly people who had arrived out of curiosity rather than knowing exactly what to expect.

There was a welcome mix of ages and backgrounds in the audience, too. It felt like a show bringing different people into the same room, with the soundtrack providing some common ground.

There was also support from Manchester and Chester.

Given Nahum’s connections to both places, I couldn’t possibly imagine why…

From Moss Side to the Manchester stage

Before the performance, I’d interviewed Nahum about his journey. He grew up in Moss Side and trained at The Hammond in Chester, before a career that took him to places including New York and Cuba.

Watching him on stage in Manchester gave that conversation a different weight. Here was someone who had taken that journey and returned not simply to perform, but with a show he had created alongside Darius Drooh.

I flipping love that.

There was something genuinely moving about seeing that local story become part of the evening. Alongside the enjoyment of the show, I felt a sense of pride.

Afterwards, Nahum even sent me a note thanking me for coming. A small gesture, perhaps, but a thoughtful one — and a lovely way to round off the night.

Nahum McLean joins Phil on the Morning Show

Any reservations?

I suppose it depends on what you go looking for. I can’t offer a technical breakdown of the choreography, and I wouldn’t pretend otherwise. But from where I was sitting, I couldn’t fault the dancing or the commitment of the performers.

I came away feeling I’d watched a talented group of professionals breaking new ground, creating something that could appeal to people who might not normally choose a dance show.

And there was no mistaking the response at the end: the audience was up on its feet.

I left with my foot still moving, a soundtrack I wanted to revisit and the thought of that lad from Moss Side, who learned ballet in Chester, performing on his home-city stage.

A great vibe, wonderful performances and a homecoming worth celebrating. Five stars.

• Find out more at The Brown Suite