The Spirit of the Man. To 10 June.

Nottingham

OLD BIG ‘EAD IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MAN
by Stephen Lowe

Nottingham Playhouse 17th May 2006 to 10 June 2006
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat 3 June 2.30pm 8June 1.30pm
Audio described 6, 7 June.
BSL Signed 2 June
Captioned 3 June 2.30pm
Runs 2hr 35min. One interval

TICKETS: 0115 9419419
www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
Review: Jen Mitchell 19th May 2006

Hugely entertaining and wildly funny this is much more than a play about football.
An air of unpredictability aptly carries through this play right until the final curtain as the action bobs and weaves its way through the two halves, like play in a cup final.

Any play that opens in heaven with D.H. Lawrence, Lord Byron and General Booth (with Robin Hood singing in the shower) as the East Midlands Branch of the Inspirational Society, is going to be either very pompous or very brave. This play is the latter and oh, how it succeeds!

The action actually centres around Jimmy (John Lloyd Fillingham) – an uninspired playwright - who for various reasons has lost his direction. That is until the entrance of Cloughie himself – on a, as it transpires, misdirected mission from the afore mentioned Inspirational Society.

And thus the action and the comedy ensue. Old Big ‘Ead does what he does best – straight talking, no nonsense, at times politically incorrect but always heartfelt. His advice is initially like a foreign language to Jimmy, with its footballing metaphors and his ‘tell it like it is’ honesty.

The piece is no biography of the local hero and though the football references appeal to those in the know, it has a universal appeal and can’t fail to amuse, and move, those with little football knowledge.

Colin Tarrant as Brian Clough is superb – his actions, voice and delivery of the dead-pan humour are, at times, uncanny in their likeness. But his performance is more than an impersonation – he captures the spirit of the man – evident to all of us who have seen or heard him in action.

This is a play that manages at once to be a warts and all tribute to a local, and national, football legend and a thoughtful, well-crafted theatrical piece, juxtaposing and interweaving two men’s stories.

Jimmy: John Lloyd Fillingham
Gerald/Brian Clough/Robin Hood: Colin Tarrant
Mick/Little John/King Richard: Dave Nicholls
Damien/Alan a’Dale: Ben Goddard
Eddy/Will Scarlet/Guy of Gisbourne: Jamie Kenna
Adrian/Friar Tuck: James Warrior
Sarah/Barbara/Maid Marian: Laura Martin-Simpson

Director: Alan Dossor
Designer: Jamie Vartan
Lighting Designer: Mark Pritchard
Sound designer: Adam McCready
Musical Director: Ben Goddard

2006-05-24 16:41:26