IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE. To 28 January.
London
IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE
by Chris Burgess and John Plews
Upstairs at the Gatehouse, The Gatehouse Pub, Highgate Village. London N6 4BD
Tue-Sat 8pm except 2 & 3 Jan Mat Sun & 1-3 Jan 4pm
Runs 2hrs One interval
TICKETS : 0208 340 3488
www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com
Review : Geoff Ambler 20 December 2006
Fortunately, it is only make believe.
You can get away with a lot at Christmas. It’s in that spirit I’ll happily declare that I somewhat enjoyed my evening in Highgate despite myself. While outside the world was opaquely fogged and bone chillingly cold, in the intimate Upstairs at the Gatehouse it was snug and filled with overenthusiastic young actors and an equally overenthusiastic and appreciative audience.
It’s Only Make Believe is set during the seventies, when a preternaturally obsessive business woman, Bev played with too much energy by Claire Trusson, is living her movie trivia-focussed life’s dream and is struggling to finance the refurbishing of an old movie theatre. However this is only a peripheral plot device to allow the engaged but un-engaging and bland couple, Kevin and Carol, to achieve a break-up and eventual reconciliation thanks to assistance from a number of old B-movie stars. These failed movie characters arrive and exit via a very slow lift built into the set and provide a consummate lesson in clichéd and melodramatic overacting which not only works well for them but is actually, at times, really quite funny.
Wendy Killian’s very blond Donna Deecup, Becky Pennick's sultry Lola Del Monte and John Addison’s square-jawed Brad Maguire set themselves apart in this young cast, thoroughly embracing their roles and lifting the show whenever they appear. Unfortunately what are strengths for them in their fantasy scenes only highlight weaknesses in the rest of the show's ‘real life’ book elements.
The music, lifted from the fifties, sixties and seventies, is delivered with varying degrees of success. Notably, Wendy Killian’s “I Wanna Be Loved By You” achieves impure entertainment. Each number is supported by the remaining members of the cast, appearing as workmen in overalls and hard hats and muddling through some occasionally elementary choreography.
The cast have hard-hats full of energy and ability and are possibly over eager to demonstrate this. There is more than enough humour, fun and talent to make It’s Only Make Believe a thoroughly worthwhile evening's entertainment over the holiday period, even though I can’t help feeling that the title is trying to provide an excuse for the show's shortcomings.
Gran : Amy Tweed
Lola Del Monte : Becky Pennick
Bev: Claire Trusson
Carol : Danielle Fenemore
Frankie De Chino : Fraser Burrows
Harold Jenkins : Jack Merivale
Brad Maguire : John Addison
Donna Deecup : Wendy Killian
Kevin Sinclair : William Hazell
Director : John Plews
Choreographer : Racky Plews
Musical Director : Tom Attwood
2006-12-24 01:30:18