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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Happy hours at Highbury
Bouncers & Shakers Highbury Players, Highbury Theatre ***** IT MIGHT seem
as something of a risky step to abridge two well-known John Godber works
and present them in unison as a single night's entertainment, but that's
what the Highbury players have managed to do successfully with a double
bill of Bouncers
and Shakers. It could have been a bit of a BOGOF situation but
in reality the quality in the performances, direction and technical
execution guaranteed that neither play is cheapened by the offer. We began the evening with Shakers, Godbers
and Jane Thornton's study of the inner workings and life in a Northern
Cocktail bar. This featured Louise Farmer as Adele, Jayne Rickard
as Carol, Laura Chinn as Mel and new member Theresa Stokes as Nicky. Godber's script in both plays is both intense and
insightful, calling for a great deal of precision and close timing.
Remarkably the girls never missed a beat, each effectively managing the
flow from syncopated delivery to poignant monologue with ease. As the girls take us through their work, their
lives, lost opportunities and dreams; they also become the many
customers, both male and female, who frequent the Shakers establishment
and everyone displayed great ability in the transformations.
Bouncers takes the same dramatic format
requiring again razor sharp timing to make it all work. Set in a
nightclub ,this time Frenzy's ,four doormen, played by Simon Baker as
Les, Richard Ham as Ralph, Kerry Frater as Judd and Keith Hayes as the
philosophical Lucky Eric take on a wide range of amusing personas to
create a night out in the North, Godber style. The lads had to face an additional challenge as
their play also requires a lot of physicality and there was a high
degree of well executed choreography that added an additional comic
dimension. The opening began slightly nervously but after a few
minutes the quartet gelled into a team and produced an excellent and
well-coordinated performance. John Godber gives a director a great deal of
flexibility to develop and augment the basic text and directors Rob
Phillips with Shakers and Denise Phillips with Bouncers must be
commended in building two very professional productions. If there was any risk on Highbury's gamble then
it was quickly forgotten because as a first and second act these two
plays work so well together and for an amateur theatre looking to fill
seats it's also a smart idea. If you don't rate the first half and that
paly, then stick around as there is another one after the interval. If you are a hardened Godber fan than this is a
match made in heaven as it highlights the connected themes in both works
and you won't find a better team of players to show just what clever
writing this is. Or if you simply like a bargain then at just £11.00 a
ticket for non-members, that's just over a fiver a play and you won't
find better theatrical value than that. To 16-02-13 Jeff Grant
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