Show: Bouncers
Society: Bromley Little Theatre
Venue: No venue information available
Credits: John Godber
Type: Sardines
Performance Date: 27/05/2011
Bouncers
Paul Johnson | 09 Sep 2011 16:41pm
Bromley Little Theatre’s second offering (apparently suggested by a member) under its new intimate ‘Bar Theatre’ set-up was an inspired choice of programme. Almost by accident BLT’s 40-seat bar area perfectly lent itself to the dark and claustrophobic atmosphere of the Eighties nightclub scene. Set in the three-quarter round, the tight eight-foot by eight-foot performing space delightfully threatened to spill over into the audience bringing performers and onlookers nose to nose, and uncomfortably close – the perfect scenario with which to launch John Godber’s Bouncers. This was the third amateur production of Bouncers I’ve been witness to over the last twelve month’s and thankfully I can say ‘third time lucky!’ Godber’s hilarious and yet provoking masterpiece is without doubt a ‘director’s’ piece of theatre. Without overlooking the skill of the acting quartet, a director’s understanding of how this play needs to be brought to its audience will make or break the production. Dan Armour successfully got right under its skin of the play and in no uncertain terms painted us a vivid picture of the relentless hedonism of northern nightlife as seen through the eyes of the four doormen of the ‘Mr. Cinders’ nightclub. Loud, crude, menacing, intimidating, imposing and often disturbing this performance was about as real as it could get – without being real. The four bouncers in question represented a classic snapshot of reality. ‘Lucky Eric’, the veteran doorman who has seen it all and has arrived at a stage in his life disillusioned by society and those around him – Duncan King did a great job of underplaying this role and portraying a compassionate and not-unintelligent man who has simply been in the game so long he wouldn’t know what else to do, although given the choice he’d happily quit tomorrow. ‘Judd’, played by the giant Wayne Sheridan, was the thug of the quartet, looking for any excuse (or victim, from the raucous and beer-filled lads and lasses out on the town) to have a good Friday-night thumping. Sheridan’s Judd nicely clashed with the professionalism of Lucky Eric, often ending in the pair squaring up to each other, resulting in some well-worked physical sections. Justin Salmon’s ‘Les’ was gloriously played with seemingly endless amounts of energy. Les formed the youngest member of the bouncing quartet. Salmon delightfully showed us an impressionable youth, drawn into a blind and exciting adrenaline-filled life only too happy to look up to the menace of Judd as a role model, and anything else that fuelled the fire within. The final corner-piece was ‘Ralph’ brilliantly and subtly portrayed by Tim Witcombe. This was the guy in the wrong job, constantly questioning his involvement with the whole unsavoury business. Witcombe moved brilliantly between being one of the lads and showing those tell-tale signs that there was probably a human being lurking somewhere behind that black bow-tie. The actors were the props in this piece and rightly so (although the four identical dinner jackets almost deserve a credit of their own). No distractions – not that the audience was actually given the chance to take its eyes off the raw energy and breakneck pace being displayed only inches away. The nostalgic and essential soundtrack to the evening was also a credit to BLT, being there, bang on cue, but again not distracting or taking away from the focus in any way. My feeling is that this particular production would not have worked half as well had it been performed in BLT’s main auditorium, so let’s hope the theatre continues its new venture of sell-out Bar Theatre productions and to such a high standard when all sorts of possibilities surely await. The next Bar Theatre show at BLT will be The Weir later in the Autumn directed by ‘Judd’ himself, Wayne Sheridan – it’s bound to end up in a fight!
- : admin
- : 27/05/2011