Bouncers & Shakers

Phoenix Theatre Company were back on stage this week with their production of the John Godber classics Bouncers and Shakers at The Daneside Theatre in Congleton. I have seen these plays a number of times over the years and they never fail to make me smile (and wince). This version was set in the noughties, which, for me, didn’t work in the most part due to the 80’s style references in the script (such as Thatcher etc). A lot of the misogyny and sexualised jokes seemed too out of date in today’s society and having set their version in the Noughties, it would’ve been a great time to update the text and humour (if copyright allows).  A lot of gender swap roles seemed a little stereotypical, albeit funny and the cast did well in the main to convey the comedic side of the text. What was missing for me was the serious undertones and darker moments, mainly found in the monologues that reference the anthesis of the humour. There is a lot of scope for these plays to be seriously updated and overhauled that would work in today’s world.

Directed by Emily Brassington, this production, on the whole, was pacy and entertaining. I liked the traditional multi-role and gender swaps within both plays and the visuals were good too. There could have been more continuity with props as sometimes they were used and sometimes mimed. I would’ve loved to have seen more of a synchronised movement with the Bouncers cast which could’ve added to the comedy, but this is just a personal preference. I would’ve have also loved more of a change in characters/scenes in the Shakers play which seemed more streamlined in story and structure rather than scene/character changes which is in-keeping with the Godber style.

The sound cues were great and cued on time. I liked the song choices used (again, some were from the wrong time period). Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the lighting plot. There were far too many areas of darkness in stage which left actors in semi darkness and the lighting states changed mid scene which seemed odd and out of place. I could see when the lights were used to try and establish location but for the most part, this wasn’t obvious enough.

I believe that there were some last-minute cast changes a few weeks before opening night. Both plays are quite wordy, and this style of play is quite intricate, so I commend the actors who stepped in at the last minute – your hard work is commendable, and it certainly wasn’t obvious who you were.

Garry Wallis played the role of Lucky Eric. Garry’s storytelling and energy was great, and I could tell that he was having a great time on stage which made him and his characters loveable. I personally would’ve preferred to see the serious undertones within Eric’s monologue a little more but overall I really enjoyed Garry’s interpretations.

Daniel Hobson played the role of Les. Whilst I couldn’t tell you the story arch of this character (being that it wasn’t a memorable performance) I do think that Daniel’s storytelling, projection and intonation is very good, and I look forward to seeing him again. Daniel also had a very good rapport with the other actors which is important for this type of play.

Ralph was played by Richard Connolly. I really enjoyed both the vocality and physicality that Richard brought to this role(s). Richard has very good stage presence and a believability which is both natural and entertaining. Well done on a great performance.

Tom Shaw played the role of Judd. Whilst this was Tom’s first ever performance on stage, it didn’t show. I liked the way in which Tom portrayed Judd, and whilst I would’ve preferred a lot of projection (it was hard to hear him at times) he has certainly got a lot of potential.

Jennie Brassington played the role of Carol. Jennie was able to showcase some brilliant accents for her characters and brought a fab sense of physicality to her roles. Jennie is a brilliant comedy and character actress, and this was a great showcase for her. A strong performance.

Sarah Oliver played the role of Mel. Sarah has fantastic stage presence and line delivery, and her diction is excellent. I would’ve loved to have seen more of a difference in characters with stronger accents.

Sarah Shilcock had a good accent throughout and gave a very naturalistic performance, which isn’t always in-keeping with the Godber style. For me, Shilcok lacked projection which made it very hard to hear at times.

Jane Banham was suitably funny as Nicki. I didn’t really get the arch of the characters acting journey which is important for this role however I did love the line delivery and rapport with Carol (Jen Brassington).

For me, the Bouncers cast were stronger than the Shakers cast due to more energy, commitment and overall humour. They all worked cohesively and brought great physicality to their roles.

Whilst the acting was stronger and more naturalistic than Bouncers, the four actors in Shakers lacked the same cohesion that the actors in Bouncers had. This style is quite specific and whilst it was apparent in scenes from some, both plays needed more of the style. This is down to direction and not having a clear enough vision for the overall production. I am of course being very picky. For those who have never seen these plays, this was a decent enough performance. For me, sadly it was a little too much GCSE drama, but entertaining, nevertheless.

I thank Phoenix Theatre Company for their hospitality and wish them all the very best for their upcoming production of Wind in the Willows later this year.

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