Direction and movement
throughout are sublime, poetic.
Indeed it would be hard to
recognise where
Tiffany’s direction
ended and
Hogget’s
movement took
over, so
beautifully do
they fuse
together.
Enter Eddie Rossini (Christopher
Woodley) and his two cronies,
T.Scott (Robert Hannouch) and
Edonis (Toby Joyce). Eddie
★★
proposes a trashy homoerotic
stage version of Mel Gibson’s “The
Dreamboats and
Passion of Christ” starring porn
Petticoats
star Kit Swagger (Matthew
transports the
Ferdenzi). It’s a sure fire
audience back to
commercial hit, but will the
the early 1960s
Integrity Players give in to
where two young
financial pressure and in so doing
friends, Bobby and
lose their integrity? I’m not going
Ray, spend their
The talented cast of to give the game aw ay, but I think
evenings at the youth
musicians are, without we can all guess the answer to that
club hanging around
exception, quite
one.
with the local band.
excellent, and, in
what is after all
My problem was more with the
The show itself is
very much an
execution. Director Andrew
bursting with a
ensemble piece, Beckett has allowed too much of
relentless barrage
it would be
the play to be played on one level,
of classic Rock ‘n’
insidious to
with actors shamelessly mugging
Roll songs,
single anyone
and playing too many of their lines
around 40 in total,
out. However I
out front. The often hilarious
and it's hard to
cannot pass
antics of T.Scott and Edonis would
deny that the
without mentioning have benefited from a greater
selection of songs are
Zrinka Cvitesic’s
contrast with their boss, Rossini,
balanced in terms of the
warmly humorous and
but he too was encouraged to
upbeat numbers and the ballads.
endearing Girl, for really it is she
overplay much of the
who drives the narrative.
comedy, which
Despite its basic appearance, the
resulted in a lack
appeal of this show is the nostalgia The show deservedly won
of contrast.
for an older audience and the
eight 2012 Tony
Surely
music. For those who like Rock ‘n’ Awards. I recommend
underplaying
Roll, they will enjoy the almost
it unreservedly. ∎
the role would
constant musical numbers. The
have made it
show does finish with a mini
even funnier.
concert which had the audience on
It’s a shame,
THE GAY NAKED
their feet and the resounding
because the play
cheers and applause suggested
PLAY
is a lot of fun, and
that the audience had thoroughly
ABOVE THE STAGS,
I feel sure that
enjoyed the show as a whole.
LONDON
this cast had it
★★★
However, this show sadly lacked
in them to
style and substance over and
deliver a
Dan (Alexander
above a decent band and a
much more
Hulme) is director of
soundtrack of classic songs. ∎
multi-faceted
the Integrity Players, a
performance.
small off off Broadway
group of players
That said, the
ONCE
dedicated to “great art”.
audience on
The company also consists
PHOENIX THEATRE,
opening night
of his loving (and very
LONDON
enjoyed themselves
★★★★★
pregnant) wife Amanda (Stacy
enormously, and nobody was
Sobieski) and their friend and
Once is not a musical in any
complaining about Matthew
leading actor Harold (Lucas
conventional sense. What it is, is a Livesey). They have lofty
Ferdenzi getting his kit off more
supremely beautiful, original and
ambitions and a staunch refusal to than once. Maybe it will settle
enchanting piece of theatre, which compromise, but they have one
down a bit in the next few
demands to be seen.
performances. ∎
problem. Tiny audiences.
13
THEGAYUK FEB/MARCH
DREAMBOATS AND
PETTICOATS
UK NATIONAL
TOUR
2014
SHOW