One Man, Two Guvnors
Wednesday night saw a trip to the Churchill Theatre in Bromley for One Man, Two Guvnors. The play is set in 1960s Brighton and the mood is set by "The Craze", a skiffle band who performed short sets prior to the start of the show and during the interval with songs about train lines, debt and crossdressing siblings amongst other things. The show itself is a comedy of misunderstandings, a farce in the great tradition of British comedy. Adapted from the Italian play Servant of Two Masters, it follows the buffoonish Francis Henshall working for two employers who (without giving too much away) are both trying to find the other.
The show is a bit looser than I had anticipated with occasional moments of improvisation. Perhaps a little too loose at times, with Gavin Spokes practically breaking character as Henshall to rebuke a man who literally offers to give him a sandwich as per his request. "This is a National Theatre production, not a pantomime. These questions are rhetorical. Do you take carrots with you to War Horse?". Having already brought audience members on stage to join in the fun, there is certainly a pantomime feel to proceedings. Particularly later on in the first half when a woman is brought on stage and subsequently involved in an incident with a fire extinguisher. It's hysterically funny but probably the greatest breach of an audience member's trust that I've seen*. And I started the week watching a man threatening to urinate on someone on stage.
This comes at the close of the strongest section of the play, Henshall attempting to serve two dinners at once with the assistance of the elderly Irish waiter Alfie. It's a role that owes a debt to Manuel from Fawlty Towers, as he's frequently physically mistreated in a series of slapstick set pieces. The writing is occasionally hit and miss but performed at such a pace that you're never too far away from some superbly executed physical comedy or a silly gag. A particular favourite being: "Confidential's my middle name" "So your name is Francis Confidential Henshall?".
There are strong performances across the ensemble cast. Shaun Williamson puts in a fun performance as Charlie Clench, the small time gangster baffled by identical twins in a running joke. Edward Hancock wrings as much as he can out as Alan Dangle, the exuberant wannabe thespian betrothed to Clench's dimwitted daughter Pauline. David Verrey plays Dangle's solicitor father (he apparently "got the Mau Mau off") and isn't given much to do other than a fine piece of legal verbiage at the opening of the second half. Similarly, I would have liked to have seen more from Emma Barton's Dolly.
On the downside, the action is all a bit too neatly resolved. There's some plot holes and the second half can't quite compete with the pace of the first. But it's nigh on impossible not to get swept along with the joy of OMTG. Despite my reservations, I had a decent enough view at the back of the theatre for my £10 ticket. With Arcardia, The History Boys, The Producers and Avenue Q appearing at the Churchill in the next few months, it won't be long before I'm back.
*I've since discovered that this was all the work of plants and now I feel somewhat better about it. Although I'm now lamenting the fact I was so gullible. But presumably I'm the perfect audience member in that respect.
The show is a bit looser than I had anticipated with occasional moments of improvisation. Perhaps a little too loose at times, with Gavin Spokes practically breaking character as Henshall to rebuke a man who literally offers to give him a sandwich as per his request. "This is a National Theatre production, not a pantomime. These questions are rhetorical. Do you take carrots with you to War Horse?". Having already brought audience members on stage to join in the fun, there is certainly a pantomime feel to proceedings. Particularly later on in the first half when a woman is brought on stage and subsequently involved in an incident with a fire extinguisher. It's hysterically funny but probably the greatest breach of an audience member's trust that I've seen*. And I started the week watching a man threatening to urinate on someone on stage.
This comes at the close of the strongest section of the play, Henshall attempting to serve two dinners at once with the assistance of the elderly Irish waiter Alfie. It's a role that owes a debt to Manuel from Fawlty Towers, as he's frequently physically mistreated in a series of slapstick set pieces. The writing is occasionally hit and miss but performed at such a pace that you're never too far away from some superbly executed physical comedy or a silly gag. A particular favourite being: "Confidential's my middle name" "So your name is Francis Confidential Henshall?".
There are strong performances across the ensemble cast. Shaun Williamson puts in a fun performance as Charlie Clench, the small time gangster baffled by identical twins in a running joke. Edward Hancock wrings as much as he can out as Alan Dangle, the exuberant wannabe thespian betrothed to Clench's dimwitted daughter Pauline. David Verrey plays Dangle's solicitor father (he apparently "got the Mau Mau off") and isn't given much to do other than a fine piece of legal verbiage at the opening of the second half. Similarly, I would have liked to have seen more from Emma Barton's Dolly.
On the downside, the action is all a bit too neatly resolved. There's some plot holes and the second half can't quite compete with the pace of the first. But it's nigh on impossible not to get swept along with the joy of OMTG. Despite my reservations, I had a decent enough view at the back of the theatre for my £10 ticket. With Arcardia, The History Boys, The Producers and Avenue Q appearing at the Churchill in the next few months, it won't be long before I'm back.
*I've since discovered that this was all the work of plants and now I feel somewhat better about it. Although I'm now lamenting the fact I was so gullible. But presumably I'm the perfect audience member in that respect.
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