Bouncers

First seen at the Edinburgh fringe in 1977 (and at pretty much every subsequent festival since), ‘Bouncers’ is not so much a play as it is a social phenomenon. There is barely a language it hasn't been translated into, nor a country it hasn't conquered quickly becoming a fixed part in the theatre landscape.

Subsequently, and most famously, this four-hander is responsible for launching northern playwright John Godber's career and captured the Hull Truck ethic of drama as a contact sport.

The common bond between any group of male actors is that they will have at some point worked on a production of ‘Bouncers’ reciting lines from it as if printed on their genetic code.

It didn’t seem too long ago that this piece still managed to feel innovative and brand-new in comparison to other plays that were around, given that this typical Godber style has inspired many new writers and plays have since been revived to adopt this style of performance, using the physical multi roll actor, the ‘Bouncers’ that was once like nothing theatregoers had ever seen before now seems to blend in with everything else.    

Saying that, this play will continue to survive for as long as the urge to drink, fight and reproduce remains in fashion.

Each of this quartet had their own shining moment but delivered with equal measure as an ensemble too. When representing the girls – they mince about the stage with handbags aloft and the women in the audience clearly sense something uncomfortably familiar about the rather accurate portrayal as they impersonate the ritual of getting ready for a night on the town, get drunk, try to cop-off, dance round their handbags and end up crying inconsolably in the loos. For their time as the four girls, the hairdressers scene was what outshone the rest as we were introduced to the extravagant creatures with first-rate comic visuals.  

As the lads – they’re rude, crude and cruising to get their end away. The fellas in the audience also saw something of themselves being lampooned on stage. The scene in the gents lavs was particularly comical. There is something that makes a production of ‘Bouncers’ more hilarious when it’s performed by four actors you know, you can’t help feeling that you know them a little better after seeing them in this play! #flopsplash

The guys taxi scene (on the way home) was another excelled portrayal / re-enactment.

When playing the four hard faced bouncers, they’re very different yet again, contrasting with aplomb from the lofty over animated party animal interludes. Les (Chris Addington), Ralph (Tim Wood) Judd (Ian Bennett) and Lucky Eric (John Wood).

As well as playing the toughest – don’t mess with me - daddy bouncer, John Wood also took the helm as director of the production. It was evident that John has an affection towards the play and managed to present exactly what the play requires, the script is just the beginning and needs layers and own ideas from each of the actors to bring the piece alive which he’d grasped, understood and seemed to encourage. John is an infectious director who radiates passion which had evidently been fed through to the other three thesps.

I did sense that the troupe were not as at home when forced to improvise when the play unexpectedly ventured off script. A handbag strap snapped causing it to fling off stage mid sketch and an attempt to recover from it was made which was an ideal mask to accompany what had just happened, almost as if it was planned, yet this was responded to with a remark that’s known as a ‘block’ which resulted in an uneasy moment causing a brief pause while the troupe tried to pick up from where they left off putting a rift in the tight bond the guys first appeared to have.   

Doing what they do best, the guys ended the show with a feel good celebratory medley. Every time I’ve seen ‘Bouncers’ it’s always ended with a performance of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ but a welcome change here as we got a Frankie Valli medley which gave the production a fitting and uplifting finale which was an unexpected and welcome surprise. 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.