The most refreshing aspect of this witty and colourful play is its cinematic quality. There is a strong structure to the storyline - rather than leaving the actors to freewheel along with endless characterisation, there is actually an eventful plot impatient to unfold.
Charles Anderson is a true delight, starring as down on his luck Granville, who is advancing in age but not in his acting career. His exchanges about the challenges of the profession and taking on roles in fringe theatre with his slippery friend Leo (Steve Hunt) - a fellow actor - are made all the more amusing, by the surroundings in which the play is taking place - a modest pub theatre in Kennington.
Cooking up an idea to make money, the pair pose as well-spoken, artistic photographers, when in fact they are merely opportunists, looking for desperate Basildon housewives wanting to earn some cash by posing for nude photos.
Step forward Shelley and Janna. The pair are not what you’d necessarily expect and in the hands of Louise Tyler and Maria de Lima, they sidestep cliches and caricatures nicely. Their motivation for agreeing to the shoot is gently explored and the way in which they end up gamely taking their kits off (shielded from the audience, before you get too excited) is poignantly plausible.
Ultimately, this is an entertaining story portrayed by a talented cast, and the rough and ready appearance suits the tone of the tale. Special mention must go to Michael Gilhooly’s brilliant interpretation of a worthy prison officer (“Just call me Alan”). The brevity of his appearance - which book ends the play - makes his character all the more appealing.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Content is copyright © 2012 The Stage Media Company Limited unless otherwise stated.
All RSS feeds are published for personal, non-commercial use. (What’s RSS?)
