The Bench

Opening Remarks

I always know I am in for a treat when I am invited to attend a Mark Walker production at Bonkers Theatrical (‘Bonkers’): his latest venture, ‘The Bench’, did not disappoint, living up to Mark’s exceptionally high standard and leaving his reputation as the master of drama in District 7 and the East Midlands Region untarnished.

I congratulate and thank Mark and all the team at Bonkers for always staging such unique, highly professional, and thought-provoking productions, which are not widely staged in East Midlands.

The Show

‘The Bench’ is written by Kier McAllister and was certainly not a script I had come across before. In short, it is fantastic and extremely funny but also heart-warming, tender and at times raw.

If you are familiar with the TV show ‘After Life’, keep this in mind as you read what follows.

The storyline, which is satirical and comedic in nature, plots the developing relationship between Sandy and Joe. The pair’s turbulent encounters, and their developing relationship, unfold around a park Bench – sorry Sandy, I mean memorial! Joe visits the bench to find solace and peace from the burdens of his life; Sandy attends the bench regularly out of a sense of obligation for an unnurtured love and to mourn Maggie. These two competing purposes behind visiting the bench results in as far from five minutes of rest as you can imagine: the pair enter an epic conflict of passive aggression, which somehow has them returning to the bench time and again to take another round with each other until eventually, the pair become friends, I think!

The script is jam-packed with extremely funny lines and exchanges between the Sand and Joe. It is also laced with meaningful discussions about suicide, homosexuality, and prejudice. This tension in themes creates a great contrast to the comedic value of the work.

The play really is extremely well written, and I am enormously grateful that Mark has brought the production to life at Bonkers.

Creatives

Direction by Mark was, once again, of the highest standard. The texture and depth created with a cast of two should be applauded. Mark clearly brought out the best in his cast, ensuring that both actors demonstrated the range of emotion and characterisation demanded by the script.

 

Cast

The cast was outstanding and perfectly suited to each of their roles. David Russell, as Sandy, and Lester Cooker, as Joe, were simply superb.

 

Both David and Lester had sustained and developed characterisation and stagecraft. Their interactions with one another were of the highest standard and created the relationship required by the script to carry the comedic, satirical plot.

The pair demonstrated a full range of emotions, which allowed them to meet the demands of their roles. Their skills in presenting anger, upset, raw pain, wit and much more were of a professional standard.

I congratulate David and Lester on their outstanding portrayal of Sandy and Joe; their work was worthy of a professional stage.

Production

The set was of a very high standard, adding realism to the stage, which contributed to the overall professional nature of the production. The properties were, as I always see at Bonkers, of an equally high and realistic standard. Great attention to detail had been paid to the dressing of the set. I congratulate Carly Walker for her work in this area.

The costumes were also well sourced and reflective of the play and overall production.

The lighting design was brilliantly realistic. The sound effects were managed with professionalism and the stage management was also of an outstanding standard with every transition being handled with ease.

Closing remarks

My warmest congratulations for an outstanding production of ‘The Bench’. It truly was of an exceptionally high standard and worth of recognition.

I thank Bonkers for the generous hospitality shown to me upon my visit.

I look forward to seeing the company’s next production.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.