5 Star

The True Spirit of Liverpool.

Taken from their multi-award winning short (Thomas), writer/actor Daniel P Lewis (Billy Smith, Wuthering Heights), and director Sean Cronin (The World Is Not Enough, Kill Kane) along with their newly formed Keystone Pictures Ltd, bring us a real rollercoaster ride of emotions. Set in the city of passion, Liverpool, where we meet the Reilly family. A family of high hopes and problems. Our Kid is how they handle their lives. Get hankies, get lots of hankies.

Laura Reilly (Poppie Jae Hughes) rides around the hallowed grounds of Anfield on her BMX, before heading to Sefton Park to tell us her story, and introduce the players. Herself, twelve years old and wants to follow her football inspiration Laura Hinds (Herself) and play football for Liverpool. Her Hero brother Thomas (Daniel P Lewis) who has Cerebral palsy, and a very quick wit, his full time carer is their Ma, Tracey (Sharon Byatt, Bread (TV Series), Springhill (TV Series)). Her ‘cowboy’ builder father John (Connor McIntyre, Coronation Street (TV Series), Always and Everyone (TV Series)), her #1 Grandad Alan (John McArdle, Seaforth (TV Mini Series), Friends (TV Series)) a part-time forgetful cabbie, also grandads brother uncle Phil (Ricky Tomlinson, The Royle Family, (TV Series), The 51st State), and finally dad’s best mate uncle Mark (Mark Moraghan, Cockney and Scouse (TV Series), Waterfront Beat (TV Series).

Tracey has another cigarette in-between her smokers cough, just before dinner. The cough continues, and even dad notices and asks if she is OK, she brushes it off and continues with her food. Even with her cough, she manages to look after Thomas’ needs, get the breakfast done, sort out John’s lunch, and get everything ready for Laura’s school day. But nobody sees her having a coughing fit over the kitchen sink. This prompts her to go see her doctor. Later that day, she takes Laura and Thomas down to the docks to see the Liver Building.

Them two, the most famous birds in the world. Iconic, standing tall, looking over the city, on guard.

You two will always stick together. Liver-bird’s they stick together.

Later that night, around the dinner table, Tracey drops the big C bomb, at first Laura is optimistic, as her friend’s dad was given a short time to live, but two years later he is still going strong. Thomas says to fight.

You will never walk alone.

But it doesn’t take long before Tracey’s condition worsens, and she is hospitalized. This is where we see the inventive naive animation, to show the passage of time. We return to Tracey’s funeral.

I’m gonna miss you, but I’ll make you proud.

But as well as being a ‘cowboy’ builder, John has always relied on Tracey to do everything, and basically he fails at keeping the family running smoothly, and the wheels soon fall off for all concerned.

This is their story.

This is what happens when the Keystone is removed.

Our Kid will have you in floods of tears, as it rips out your heartstrings, and stamps on them in front of your eyes. It will also make you sing in joy as your eyes water-up again. Our Kid is an awesome rollercoaster ride. The outstanding performance, once again goes to the portrayal of Thomas by (Daniel P Lewis), and the new (Poppie Jae Hughes).

If you can, take the opportunity to get tickets below.

Our Kid is available on digital and View-on-demand