Bouncers

Produced in the round between two star cloths and the stage, simply set with two entrances/exits, the four actors (James Christie, Barry Taylor, John Mabey, Dave Hawkes)had the whole floor area to strut their stuff and interact with the audience. And interact they did, magnificently, aggressively, bawdily, lewdly, playfully, delightfully. Whether as bouncers, barbers, hairdressers, male, female, toughs, toffs, punks, Scousers, Geordies, Scots or predominantly Yorkshire tykes these four guys were fantastic. The transformation from drunk to sober, from male to female, from punter to bouncer was seamless and really rather thrilling. After a while we took it for granted but the skill and energy required, from actor and director, to do this convincingly cannot be underestimated. Add to that the lighting and sound effects which were totally synchronised with the changes in character. This worked like a well-oiled machine. 
All different but all equally talented this energetic cast took me back to the Yorkshire I knew from the 1970s. Whether the pubs of Pontefract or the clubs of Leeds there should be no doubt that this is how it was – the accents, the vocabulary, the humour – it was all there and how it came flooding back. I doubt Hull Truck could have done it better, having seen many plays in the original studio theatre. The Old Court Theatre is a more intimate venue for this play and with a cast with such star quality and so well directed it could have been a play in any professional venue for which a £40 ticket would have been money well spent. 
I can’t praise this cast, crew and its directors highly enough, so will stop. Suffice to say that if four guys in Essex together with their two lady directors can convincingly do Bouncers how about looking at some of the other Hull Truck output – Under the Whaleback and Up on the Roof are definitely worth a look. Many congratulations for the best evening’s entertainment I’ve had with my clothes on in a long time.

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