Mr Swallow: Houdini
Following "Dracula!", his musical on Bram Stoker's famous creation, Mr Swallow (Nick Mohammed) returns to the stage to take on the story of Harry Houdini, once again supported by his world weary straight man Mr Goldsworth (David Elms) and the dimwitted Jonathan (Kieran Hodgson).
Much like its predecessor, it's full of songs, knockabout action and silly digressions from Mohammad's camp, screeching northern creation. But this time the trio have upped the ante by staging a full on magic show, which gradually builds to a thrilling conclusion as Swallow attempts to take on Houdini's escape from a tank of water. Amongst the lunacy there's a relatively straight faced attempt to examine the idea of a performer suffering for their art, to risk it all for the acclaim of the crowd.
But you're never too far away from a sublime piece of daftness, like Swallow inexplicably affecting a Liverpudlian accent whilst taking on the role of Houdini's wife. Mohammed's sleight of hand abilities are impressive and it's particularly joyous to watch him respond with incredulity as he fails and then succeeds to pull of a trick. Les Dawson was adept at playing the piano badly because he knew how to play it well. The same principle is at work here.
It's testament to the trio that the show's finale feels genuinely tense. One knows that things are unlikely to go awry and yet there's a sense of unease. It brings about a conclusion quite unlike any comedy show that I've seen. Mohammad, Elms and Hodgson produce a great spectacle. Surely Harry would have approved.
Much like its predecessor, it's full of songs, knockabout action and silly digressions from Mohammad's camp, screeching northern creation. But this time the trio have upped the ante by staging a full on magic show, which gradually builds to a thrilling conclusion as Swallow attempts to take on Houdini's escape from a tank of water. Amongst the lunacy there's a relatively straight faced attempt to examine the idea of a performer suffering for their art, to risk it all for the acclaim of the crowd.
But you're never too far away from a sublime piece of daftness, like Swallow inexplicably affecting a Liverpudlian accent whilst taking on the role of Houdini's wife. Mohammed's sleight of hand abilities are impressive and it's particularly joyous to watch him respond with incredulity as he fails and then succeeds to pull of a trick. Les Dawson was adept at playing the piano badly because he knew how to play it well. The same principle is at work here.
It's testament to the trio that the show's finale feels genuinely tense. One knows that things are unlikely to go awry and yet there's a sense of unease. It brings about a conclusion quite unlike any comedy show that I've seen. Mohammad, Elms and Hodgson produce a great spectacle. Surely Harry would have approved.
Comments
Post a Comment