Find Me, The Space on the Mile.
Olwen Wymark’s riveting play was first performed in 1977 and is still sadly relevant today. It tells the true story of Verity Taylor, sent to Broadmoor at the age of 19 for setting light to a chair worth £6 – but that act alone doesn’t come close to illustrating all Verity’s problems, and how the medical and social service professions failed to provide her the necessary help because she fell between the cracks. Performed by the Parker and Snell Company, it boasts some good performances, especially from the actors playing Verity and her father. A tough watch in many respects, it’s important to keep this timeless play alive. 3 stars.
Homo(sapien), Assembly Roxy.
Fantastic first play by Conor O’Dwyer, telling the story of “Bad Gay” Joey. He’s bad for several reasons, primarily – in his eyes – because he still hasn’t had sex yet, despite countless opportunities to put that right. Conor creates a colourful cast of easily recognisable characters who all play a part in his tale. Beautifully written, with some terrific plot twists, performed by Conor O’Dwyer himself with charm and wonderful comic timing. Engrossing from beginning to end. 4 stars.
Brainsluts, Pleasance Courtyard.Four participants meet every Sunday for five weeks as guinea pigs in a clinical drugs trial, or brainsluts, as these participants are sometimes called. They must report any side effects from the drugs they are given each time. £2000 for five days’ work – not bad at all, if you need the money, and it’s a significant feature of today’s gig economy. But do they all need the money? Do they all tell the truth about themselves? Do they genuinely feel any side effects? And what motivates the supervising doctor? A hilarious script by Dan Bishop encourages great performances from all five actors. A slightly inconclusive ending – but then again, you wouldn’t know the outcomes of any drugs trial in which you were involved, so that’s only to be expected! Lovely observational comedy of these characters, each carrying their own individual private stresses. 4 stars.
How To Kill Your Landlord, Bedlam Theatre.Archie bought Joq’s Grandma’s flat when she died and he’s been a miserable old b*stard of a landlord ever since. Joq, Burke and Harriet, his unfortunate tenants, are desperate for revenge, whether driven by political ideology, love for the local foxes, or just loyalty to Grandma. But be careful what you wish for – the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley. The Young Ones meets Blithe Spirit in Meade Conway’s crazy, farcical comedy, energetically performed by its talented cast members, Frankie Weatherby, Robbie Fletcher-Hill, Elijah Khan and John Gregor. Plenty of well-executed physical comedy, and if I were to say that no landlords were harmed during this play, that would be a lie. 3 stars.
Robin Grainger People Pleaser, The Stand Comedy Club.
Robin Grainger is a people pleaser. He’d give you his work lunch if you wanted it. At school, he’d aim to make the other kids laugh, even if it got him into trouble. Not that they appreciated it. People Pleaser is not the show he had planned on performing this year, but life has a way of making you change your mind, and he had Quite A Year. I won’t say more about the nature of his material, because he can tell it so much better. A Robin Grainger show is always a special event; where most other comedians deliver a recognisable standard-packaged comedy product, Mr G’s material cannot be categorised so simply. It always comes straight from the heart and from his own unique perspective. Don’t get me wrong – People Pleaser has you guffawing from start to finish with some blissfully funny sequences, such as the estate agent and the cat, or the audition from hell, all told with his unmatched timing and deliciously chosen words. He fully deserves his place amongst the top echelons of current comedians. 5 stars.
