Champion Review is Out... The Reunion by Peter Gordon Too Friendly Theatre Company Southport Little Theatre SET in the back room of a pub where the pompous and boring Nigel (a perfect portrayal by Rod Darby) has organised a reunion party with his old mates from 25 years ago. With him, his reluctant wife, Kay (Joanne Wasilew) whose range of exasperated expressions conveyed exactly how she felt about her husband. Only two mates turn up. Cliff Gilles was in fine form as loudmouth car dealer Tommo, who bullies all around him and turns up with a young girl, Lorraine, in tow (mini-skirt and one GCSE) played by Chloe Hughes, (She works for me’, wink wink). Mark Haygarth, strutted about the stage like an apologetic penguin as the hapless Malcolm, who works at the Co-op and lives with his mother. But Tommo gets a shock when his wife, Shirley (Helen Haygarth) turns up, and a bigger one when she reveals she has been seeing Malcolm behind his back. Behind the disco decks is another face from the old days, ‘Rockin’ Eddie’, aka the gormless Mugsy (a wonderful cameo by Peter Roney) who is dismissed by Tommo as ‘never really one of us’, The party is completed by Jenny, the waitress (Tracey Holmes-Smith) and the scene is set for an evening of bawdy but lightweight comedy. But the second half brings a change. Malcolm stands up to Tommo who has called him a ‘poof’. We find out that it was Shirley who set up Tommo’s business which is now on its uppers. After Nigel has boasted about his superior achievements as a college lecturer, Jenny points out she has a PhD whilst the ‘stupid’ Mugsy turns out to own this pub and two others besides. The tables are turned and each of the group have to reevaluate their lives which brings a rewarding depth to the play that was really well acted throughout by all the cast of this talented company. What amazes and saddens me is that, despite full advertising, only about a hundred people turned up on the first night, just weeks after a play by the same author filled the 400 seat theatre for eight nights running. The ones who didn’t come missed a treat. Star Rating: 7 out of 10 - One of Peter Gordon’s best.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 14:03:17 +0000
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