Bouncers - Review by Abigail Donoghue | British Youth Music Theatre

Bouncers - Review by Abigail Donoghue

***** (5 Stars)

Forum Studio Theatre, Chester - Thursday 14 November, 2013

Bouncers is certainly a play that separates the best actors from the good. With only four males to take on over 20 various nightclub personalities, this is a play that if one area is slightly off, the entire performance is a failure. However, Tip Top productions take on the show with gusto and blow the audience away with their astounding talent.

Throughout the show we are introduced to various groups of people; the girls, the lads, the bouncers, and a sleazy DJ. Neil Mason, Simon Phillips, Mark Newman and Stuart Evans handle these roles astoundingly well; there's not a fault in their performance.

The simplicity of the set and the costumes only served to highlight the skills of the men even further. It is only through their use of mime, body language and accents that the audience can see the different characters; by the end of the first half the audience can tell exactly which character is on stage before a word has even left their mouths!

It is impossible to say that one man stood out more than another as there is certainly chemistry onstage, however, Stuart Evans and his charming portrayal of Rosie deserves a shout-out. Having said this, they are all a complete credit to the company and they should be proud of their performance.

Although parts of John Godber's script itself are slightly repetitive, there is never a moment the audience is bored. If anything, the more it's repeated, the funnier it becomes. Yet, underneath the easy gags and toilet humour there's an explicit message about the sad truth of nightclub 'ethics' seen in Lucky Eric's speeches. This is handled extremely well, with toned-down lights and soft backing tracks to really emphasise the meaning of the play; the moral of the story, as such.

All in all, Bouncers is an absolute joy to watch and left me wanting to watch it again and again! Bravo Tip Top on a performance for the history books, I'm sure!

Bouncers is playing at the Forum Studio Theatre, Chester until 23 November. More information here: http://www.tiptopproductions.co.uk/productions/production.php?id=265 

Bouncers Forum Studio Theatre Chester