Charity
Begins At Home
Frank Sumatra
South Shields Customs House
9th
March 2015 and on tour
Imagine
what would happen if your charitable cause suddenly decided to deliver the
animal that you used to sponsor to your home. Keith had originally bought his
wife, Bev, a sponsorship of an endangered orang-utan. Little did he realise
that a few years later the bundle of hairy orange fun would land on their
doorstep armed with an iPad that acts like a speak and spell. Any teenager will
often have attitude but this simian can also literally swing off the
lampshades.
Mike
Yeaman, whose writing credits include Lucky Numbers, has written another comedy
cracker which frequently had the audience laughing. Presented as a recording of
a radio show in which the voices are separated from the sound effects, a number
of the laughs come from that partitioning. Indeed the audience’s imaginations
are allowed to explore the scene being described in the same way as one would
listening to a play on the radio. Director Bev Fox is therefore able to weave a
scene of chaos and the pace is not held up for a prop to arrive. It is an interesting
delivery which works very well. Our
sound engineer, Mat Hobbins, finds himself producing many of the sounds that
Frank would produce with tight comic timing.
In
the centre of the story is a couple that is trying for a baby. Bev, played by
Jessica Johnson, is strong willed and enthusiastic. She is not always
sympathetic the needs of others such as her elderly kleptomaniac mother. Her other half Keith is less than enthusiastic
about his lot, worrying more about the contents of the bin than trying to
conceive a new child. Pip Chamberlin is engaging as the bloke for whom quickly
changing circumstances are taking things beyond his control. His cynicism is typified by his outburst “I
don’t want to be oppressed by simian overlords!” Much humour is gained by the
banter that often goes on in relationships behind closed doors.
The
short play is a real gem that frequently made the audience laugh. It might
answer questions such as whether an alpha male can drive a Fiat Punto or if an
orangutan can be mistaken for Mick Hucknell? The radio play format adds to the
humour and the actors did a fine job presenting the pandemonium of an teenage
bundle of joy who refuses to tow the line.
Frank
Sumatra is a wonderful comedy riot highlighting the discord in relationships.
This
review was written by Stephen Oliver for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com).
Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo
on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo
Original
Jowheretogo Preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/preview-frank-sumatra-on-tour.html
Directed by Bev Fox.
Remaining Tour Dates:
12/13 Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre Venue website link
14 Bedlington Community Centre Venue website link
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