Midlife Cowboy - Pleasance Theatre
Sept 27, 2019 7:24:56 GMT
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TallPaul, tommy, and 2 more like this
Post by Dr Tom on Sept 27, 2019 7:24:56 GMT
A pleasant show in a pleasant theatre. The stage is at ground level with tiered seats, all unallocated. I had no problem last night getting a front row seat with a heavily discounted ticket.
This is a gentle musical comedy by Tony Hawks, performed by a cast of five actor/musicians (well four, I had some doubts about Debra Stephenson’s guitar playing). Runs about 2 hours, with interval. Some decent songs.
The plot itself? Tony Hawks, whose books and radio appearances I’ve always enjoyed, and Debra Stephenson, play a middled-aged couple who keep their marriage going by running a small country and western group from their converted garage in Swindon. Hilarity ensues when they decide to recruit new members.
The stars of the show are really the other three cast members. Tony has written a show that is funny, but played slow, so the jokes don’t always hit. Some plot twists that are very telegraphed. There is also no amplification used. Tony does have a pleasant singing voice.
The set (the converted garage) does look impressive and would be easy to tour with.
There are some very funny moments, including a song going through all the virtues of Swindon. There’s also a crowd pleasing mega mix at the end.
Personally, I think this would play better in one act, sped up, with two leads who have had more stage experience. This would easily fit in 90 minutes. But it was great to see Tony and Debra act together and close up. Both are very funny in their specialist field.
It wasn’t terribly full last night and Tony did appeal for promotion at the end. It’s enjoyable. You get a free cast sheet. You can buy signed CDs for £10. You get Duncan Wisbey’s Big Willy. What more could you want?
This is a gentle musical comedy by Tony Hawks, performed by a cast of five actor/musicians (well four, I had some doubts about Debra Stephenson’s guitar playing). Runs about 2 hours, with interval. Some decent songs.
The plot itself? Tony Hawks, whose books and radio appearances I’ve always enjoyed, and Debra Stephenson, play a middled-aged couple who keep their marriage going by running a small country and western group from their converted garage in Swindon. Hilarity ensues when they decide to recruit new members.
The stars of the show are really the other three cast members. Tony has written a show that is funny, but played slow, so the jokes don’t always hit. Some plot twists that are very telegraphed. There is also no amplification used. Tony does have a pleasant singing voice.
The set (the converted garage) does look impressive and would be easy to tour with.
There are some very funny moments, including a song going through all the virtues of Swindon. There’s also a crowd pleasing mega mix at the end.
Personally, I think this would play better in one act, sped up, with two leads who have had more stage experience. This would easily fit in 90 minutes. But it was great to see Tony and Debra act together and close up. Both are very funny in their specialist field.
It wasn’t terribly full last night and Tony did appeal for promotion at the end. It’s enjoyable. You get a free cast sheet. You can buy signed CDs for £10. You get Duncan Wisbey’s Big Willy. What more could you want?