Bouncers Remix

Congleton Players brought Bouncers Remix to the stage at the Daneside Theatre, and I do not think I have laughed so much in a long time! From start to finish, they brought a fast-paced production filled with laughs, but slowing down in the right places for some more poignant moments. The cast of 4, directed by Em Stanway and Sam Hands, told several stories throughout, showing what bouncers experience in a night on the streets. Each of them had their own distinct voices and mannerisms for each character they played allowing the scenes to contrast well. I particularly liked the contrast between the men and women getting ready in the barbers/salon. One of the most impressive aspects of this show was that Em and Sam have managed to make it completely timeless. Every person in the audience will have been able to relate to every section. There were some modern and geographical references added in and these resonated well with most of the audience.

The choice to have Judd played by a woman was a brilliant one. Judd is objectively a horrible character who is highly unlikable from an audience perspective. However, having a female step into the role gave it a whole new depth. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but it worked so well for bringing some of the misogyny to the forefront in a funny, yet hard hitting manner. Em and Sam have obviously put a lot of thought into this and how the character should be played, and it paid off. Throughout the show, the cast of 4 played at least 18 roles between them and it was done with ease. Changes between characters and scenes were mostly executed by the cast changing elements of their costumes (wigs, ties, jackets etc) and, for the most part, these changes were done on stage. Underscoring during these moments along with actions/movements from the cast helped to keep the show flowing. The changes became a part of the performance rather than the audience waiting for the next scene to begin.

This production was staged with very minimal set. Some barrels and rubbish bins setting the stage throughout, along with 4 staging blocks acting as seats with storage space for cast costumes. Alongside this was one bigger set piece which had a different “setting” on each side when rotated. This was very cleverly used and an effective use of minimal set to cut down on scene changes. I particularly liked the use of this during the scene with the lads in the pub. The set piece was designed so the audience were looking at the scene from the perspective of the bar staff, with the cast reaching over. Adding another dimension into the production was the use of the “bridge” connecting the stage to the audience. This was used for most of Lucky Eric’s speeches, allowing him to step out of the scene, almost as if addressing the audience. It allowed the cast to use different entrances and exits and make the whole experience more immersive.

During Lucky Eric’s speeches, spotlights were used effectively from several directions to bring all attention to him which was a lovely touch. The lighting throughout the production was really strong, showing contrast between different scenes/settings. The red, green and blue for the club scenes felt really authentic, as did the yellow tint when we got to 3am (within the show, not in real life!) – very much like streetlights. Adding to the authenticity was the really low-level club music played during the street scenes for the bouncers. Costumes throughout were basic but effective, with each cast member only changing out accessories for their switches between characters. There were a couple of moments throughout where the odd piece was missing, however this was overall very impressive and effective!

Graham Curtis treated us to performances as Lucky Eric, Baz, Maureen and a Swedish Pornstar (talk about range!). He gave exceptional performances across all roles, with excellent comedic timing. It’s hard to believe this was his first time on stage in 40 years! The standout performance from me was his portrayal of Lucky Eric. The speeches throughout were all so emotional, really softly spoken and quiet but everything could still be heard clearly. You could hear a pin drop in the audience during the speeches, Graham had them completely captivated. The end of Lucky Eric’s 2nd speech (and also the end of Act 1) was performed brilliantly by Graham, giving so much anger and emotion in every word, right up until the last moment when he ran up through the audience to exit. This was a truly outstanding performance!

Taking on the roles of Judd, Terry, Plain Elaine, the Barber and Cheryl the Hairdresser was Sam Sherliker. What impressed me most about Sam’s performance was her physicality. She assigned different movements and mannerisms to each of her characters, all of which were hilarious. A particular highlight for me was Plain Elaine’s dancing, especially when Rosie was crying and Elaine carried on dancing on the other side of the stage. This had the audience in stitches! Sam’s energy was consistently sky high throughout; she truly threw herself into her performance. Her portrayal of the male characters throughout was brilliant, especially Judd. See brought a new depth to the character while displaying excellent comedic timing. An excellent performance form Sam!

Lewis Robinson gave a great performance in the roles of Les, Kev and Rosie among various other roles. Lewis’ shy and small dance moved during the opening were hilarious and he stuck with his characters throughout. The ditsy nature with which he played Rosie was great and very funny. Lewis worked well with the rest of the cast in keeping the pace flowing and delivering an outrageously funny production. Rounding out the cast was Sam Hands playing Ralph, Jerry, Sexy Susie, Nobby and other roles. Sam displayed some brilliant audience work as Sexy Susie and some excellent beatboxing skills! Fully committed to his roles throughout, Sam gave us an energy filled performance and some hilarious facial expressions.

This cast worked in complete harmony throughout, many scenes called for them to speak certain lines in unison or to quickly cut each other off and switch between conversations quickly (for example, the scene where they talk about chicken). This was perfectly executed from the 4 of them. They all brought so much energy and conviction to their various roles and were able to move seamlessly between them, each offering new style and personality when switching characters. Facial expressions throughout added to the already comedic moments, most notably from Sam H and Graham when the film was paused and from the whole cast to the animal film at the end of the show.

The cast and crew should be extremely proud of what they have created with their production of Bouncers Remix. It was truly a brilliantly funny show thanks to the cast and directors putting their own spin on things. I must mention the toilet scene – this was set very well with the timing being spot on from the cast! And the rewinding of the film, which was a highlight moment for me, so simple yet effective!

Thank you to Congleton Players for their invite and kind hospitality. I wish them the best of luck with their future productions.

 

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