Chapter Arts
Thursday 8 June – Saturday 10 June
Before the show even starts, the audience is entertained by the flower display which incorporates a piano and a mannequin. The music plays a cheery and summery melody, but then changes into an operatic, frilly, 1930s number. The humour of the show, starts at that moment, and at that moment you realise that this is going to be a weird one.
The plot revolves around two brothers and their parents’ flower shop. The boys are left alone and we watch as they play, fight and explore their own understanding of their family. Billy (played by Cory Tucker) and Danny (played by Duncan Hallie) use a clever mix of awkward humour, fast wordplay and silly flourishes as they wait for their parents return.
Arguably, the funniest part of the show is the character changes. Important Man, who holds a striking resemblance to Barney from How I Met Your Mother, allows us to laugh at the stereotypical high-payed office worker. The Builder, welcomes us to deconstruct words and build them back together again. And Maggie, well Maggie is at a loss for words all together.
The only traditional part of an on-stage family comes in the actions of the parents. However, they are played by a broomstick and a mop. This excellent parody of traditional (yet still relevant) family issues allowed for the serious commentary and character background to develop, but without any extreme change to the comedy setting and tone. A hard balance to achieve.
Duncan and Cory do an Orphan Black and play characters who are playing characters. Their ability to swap identities and combine personas together shows us what Billy and Danny have seen and what they understand about their family. This clever collaboration of personalities allowed for multiple entertaining behaviours for these two actors to play with, and even more openings for jokes and quips.
Although this show is set around clever and child-like characters, there is a surprising amount of sexual intimacy. We join Maggie in shocked amusement as the puppetry of coats kissing reveals how much the boys understand their parents’ lives, problems and secrets. A collection of flashbacks brings depth to the struggle of this family’s lives with realistic difficulties that pull at your heart-strings. The puppetry of the father whilst drunk was so accurate that the audience hushed in intense viewership.
However, all this negativity is cleansed in a classic Disney style of an uplifting musical number. Coats dancing like the magic of Beauty and the Beast and dreams of escaping to a better life like Aladdin. This heartening show makes you laugh out loud, hold your breath and wish you were as clever as the writers. In the end we are left with one idea; it’s not dog day now.
words by MONICA MARTIN
Tickets: £10/£8 Info: here