Paddy had clearly worked hard on Dave’s characterisations with his sniffing, crotch grabbing, and facial expressions. His mannerisms never faltered, and he created a very enjoyable and fully rounded comedy character. I also enjoyed watching his journey as he became increasingly harassed as the play went on, leading us to the hilarious vacuum finale: the explosion was brilliant! The set was simple and very well designed, with black curtains at the back, and decorated flats. The stage was well balanced, interspacing four desks to set the office scene and which remained static throughout. They included genuine large, backed computers and dial telephones, which, although there are no time references, took us to the 80s/90s sometime. The costumes were so authentic: superb for the characters and immediately painted a picture of the kind of personality each of the characters had. The sound and lighting were timed excellently. I particularly enjoyed the music choices (as a 90s Kid) and was singing along to ‘The Thong Song’, ‘Barbie Girl’, ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and ‘Wannabe’. It was also a nice touch that the script had been edited to include local references. I also enjoyed the ‘extra’ scenes with the bustling about in the office to indicate the passage of time. Despite the innuendos, gags and silliness, the play has a simple story but a clever script with some deep underlying themes. Through the characters’ conversations there are references to serious social and political issues such as ageism, inequality, loneliness, and even adultery. Farcical, crude, funny, but harmless, and fun with a serious message underneath – that is some clever writing! The director and cast handled this material well and respectfully so that these important under tones could shine through in the characters. I was utterly enthralled by this cast – it was a delight to see such a female-strong cast (and Paddy!) and particularly a cast lead by older ladies. As a performer myself, much of the fun of reviewing plays for me is about learning, too, and every member of the cast has inspired me with their performances. What a way to end a season. Well done!
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