I FOUND MY HORN To 20 December.

London

I FOUND MY HORN
by Jonathan Guy Lewis and Jasper Rees.

Tristan Bates Theatre, 1a Tower Street WC2H 9NP To 20 December 2008.
Mon–Sat 7.30pm & Thu-Sat 9.15pm.
Runs 1hr 15min No interval.

TICKETS: 020 7240 6283.
www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk
Review: Geoff Ambler 2 December 2008.

A journey through mid life with the help of a French horn.
Jasper Rees’ autobiographical exploration of mid life obsession and the French horn transfers from hardback into a lively and absorbing single hander on the Tristan Bates stage. Jonathan Guy Lewis, also a lapsed horn player (isn’t everyone?) has worked with Rees to create an abridged, quirky and enjoyable comedy focussing on the journey the recently separated father, struggling to find purpose, embarks on to resurrect his childhood dalliance with horn playing. Something he had little talent for when he was fifteen. Twenty five years later he discovers the instrument in the attic and develops a passion for it as he sets himself a near impossible goal of playing in front of the British Horn Society.

Lewis performs as Rees, does all his own stunts (horn playing) and inhabits several other characters, who all assist Rees with his horn ambitions. Lewis’ characters take on distinct accents, faces and physical characteristics and an appreciable part of the evenings humour stems from the performance of these engaging and lively horn players, imbuing each with their own charm and energies.

The adaptation is well written and tremendously well performed and while lacking rib shaking hilarity, its humour is deeper than that. Personal fears, joys, challenges and music, are all tempered with Rees’ drive to succeed or at the very least, not fail again which is where his pain comes from; arriving at forty three, a weekend father and realising that he has achieved nothing in his life to make himself memorable sets him on his journey to achieve something. Well, a book, a west end/fringe comedy and a talent with the French horn should solve that.

Jasper Rees: Jonathan Guy Lewis.

Director: Harry Burton.
Lighting: Jeremy Coney.
Sound: Daniel Thomason.

2008-12-07 12:29:14