Invincible
The Original Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
7th March - 11th March 2017
The Original Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
7th March - 11th March 2017
"An hilarious Ayckbourn style comedy"
says Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
says Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
If you want to spend an enjoyable evening, laughing at the north/south divide, then hurry and buy tickets for Invincible now performed by The Original Theatre Company at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff. Due to popular demand, they are once more on tour with the play by Torben Betts, who is a protégé of Alan Ayckbourn. It has humour, witty fast dialogue, and like Ayckbourn, an undercurrent of darkness running through it.
An up market London couple, Emily (Emily Bowker) a rampant socialist, and her more easy going partner Oliver (Alastair Whatley) are trying to make ends meet by relocating to the north. When they invite their new working class neighbours to their house, Alan (Graeme Brookes) and his wife Dawn (Elizabeth Boag), there is an hilarious clash of cultures as their views on life are completely at odds.
As they wait for their guests, Emily is revealed as a neurotic, hysterical, highly-strung, Marxist, who cannot stop, banging on about her political views. Oliver, asking her to marry him after years of living to gather, brings forth a tirade about women’s rights and men’s possessions, leaving the audience wondering why he would ask her. She seems to be living on a knife-edge, which is extremely irritating, but as the play progresses we begin to understand her, and feel sympathy as a tragic event in the past is revealed.
The entry of the neighbour Dawn accompanied by a tremendous rendition of Gloria, takes the audience by surprise. She struts the stage in a low cut, skin tight, red dress and announces that her husband, Alan, will be along later as he’s watching the football. He subsequently arrives as a fat, lager swilling lout, coarse and loud, to another dramatic sound and light entrance, He then dominates the stage doing strange dancing, sexual gestures and constantly talking about football. One funny moment is when the coffee table book on Karl Marx that was lovingly placed by Emily, is used by Dawn to protect her dignity when sitting in the revealing dress, and by Alan to launch into a Laurel and Hardy routine as he thinks it’s about the Marx Brothers.
In many ways, Alan is like Emily, he dominates conversations, as she does, but instead of an obsession with politics, his obsession is football. The whole evening begins to disintegrate when Alan presents his awful paintings of a much-loved cat, and foolishly asks Emily’s opinion. Her insistence on always being truthful devastates him and then the evening turns into a complete disaster when she lectures on mindless patriotism and government lies. Alan and Dawn reveal that their son is a serving soldier, and they view them all as heroes, and that is the end of their friendship. As Oliver points out to Emily, they don’t have to interact with neighbours; they just need to smile in passing.
The production is slick, with witty dialogue, and each character often talking over each other. Initially, Oliver is just an observer until there is an unexpected twist. If I have one criticism, it is that the sudden revelation by Dawn about an indiscretion was a little hard to accept. There had been no lead up to it, but it did enable the audience to find out more about Alan and Dawn’s relationship. The change from lager lout to a clingy and needy person as played by Graeme was particularly well done. The humour returns when on realising he is losing his wife, the only thing he can promise to give up, is his Sky Box.
An up market London couple, Emily (Emily Bowker) a rampant socialist, and her more easy going partner Oliver (Alastair Whatley) are trying to make ends meet by relocating to the north. When they invite their new working class neighbours to their house, Alan (Graeme Brookes) and his wife Dawn (Elizabeth Boag), there is an hilarious clash of cultures as their views on life are completely at odds.
As they wait for their guests, Emily is revealed as a neurotic, hysterical, highly-strung, Marxist, who cannot stop, banging on about her political views. Oliver, asking her to marry him after years of living to gather, brings forth a tirade about women’s rights and men’s possessions, leaving the audience wondering why he would ask her. She seems to be living on a knife-edge, which is extremely irritating, but as the play progresses we begin to understand her, and feel sympathy as a tragic event in the past is revealed.
The entry of the neighbour Dawn accompanied by a tremendous rendition of Gloria, takes the audience by surprise. She struts the stage in a low cut, skin tight, red dress and announces that her husband, Alan, will be along later as he’s watching the football. He subsequently arrives as a fat, lager swilling lout, coarse and loud, to another dramatic sound and light entrance, He then dominates the stage doing strange dancing, sexual gestures and constantly talking about football. One funny moment is when the coffee table book on Karl Marx that was lovingly placed by Emily, is used by Dawn to protect her dignity when sitting in the revealing dress, and by Alan to launch into a Laurel and Hardy routine as he thinks it’s about the Marx Brothers.
In many ways, Alan is like Emily, he dominates conversations, as she does, but instead of an obsession with politics, his obsession is football. The whole evening begins to disintegrate when Alan presents his awful paintings of a much-loved cat, and foolishly asks Emily’s opinion. Her insistence on always being truthful devastates him and then the evening turns into a complete disaster when she lectures on mindless patriotism and government lies. Alan and Dawn reveal that their son is a serving soldier, and they view them all as heroes, and that is the end of their friendship. As Oliver points out to Emily, they don’t have to interact with neighbours; they just need to smile in passing.
The production is slick, with witty dialogue, and each character often talking over each other. Initially, Oliver is just an observer until there is an unexpected twist. If I have one criticism, it is that the sudden revelation by Dawn about an indiscretion was a little hard to accept. There had been no lead up to it, but it did enable the audience to find out more about Alan and Dawn’s relationship. The change from lager lout to a clingy and needy person as played by Graeme was particularly well done. The humour returns when on realising he is losing his wife, the only thing he can promise to give up, is his Sky Box.
The way that Emily Boag changes from a flash northerner to a tragedian is particularly moving. Alastair Whately’s downtrodden Oliver is played in such a sympathetic manner, that when he suddenly becomes assertive it takes the audience by surprise. Graeme is completely believable as the lager lout with a hidden soft side and even Emily’s rampant socialism mellows. All these strong actors brought their parts to life and can be congratulated on making what could be caricatures, believable. They’re helped by brilliant direction by Chris Harper and Stephen Darcy, not forgetting the tight, well-structured writing of Torben Betts. Each character is allowed to dominate the stage in turn. I particularly liked the way that music was used during the performance.. As well as Gloria, we had Jerusalem, and Handel, There’ll Always Be an England and even the Queen talking about her Diamond Jubilee. There is a lot of movement and energy in this play, which, with only four characters could have been a play of talking heads.
Although Invincible, could be described as a funny sitcom, it is much more than that. The two couples love each other, but there is a lot of emotional baggage from the past that has driven them apart. The clash of cultures and class is hilarious, but all the pre-conceived notions and judgements about people are turned on their head. Underneath we are all the same.
The Original Theatre Company continues its tour around the country and has been invited to headline the Brits on Broadway festival in New York in June. They will be returning to the Palace in the autumn with their production of the thriller Wait Until Dark.
Although Invincible, could be described as a funny sitcom, it is much more than that. The two couples love each other, but there is a lot of emotional baggage from the past that has driven them apart. The clash of cultures and class is hilarious, but all the pre-conceived notions and judgements about people are turned on their head. Underneath we are all the same.
The Original Theatre Company continues its tour around the country and has been invited to headline the Brits on Broadway festival in New York in June. They will be returning to the Palace in the autumn with their production of the thriller Wait Until Dark.
The play will be performed at the Palace Theatre Westcliff on Tuesday 7 March until Saturday 11 March Tues - Thu 8pm & Thu 2.30pm - £28.50, £26.50, £21.50Fri & Sat 8pm & Sat 2.30pm - £30.50, £28.50, £23.50
Concessions £2.00 off (exc Fri & Sat 8pm)
Senior Citizen mid-week matinee special £24.00, £21.50 (exc groups)
Groups 10-19 10% off, Groups 20+ 20% off
Concessions £2.00 off (exc Fri & Sat 8pm)
Senior Citizen mid-week matinee special £24.00, £21.50 (exc groups)
Groups 10-19 10% off, Groups 20+ 20% off
The tour continues :-
Tues 7 – Sat 11 March Palace Theatre, Southend - www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Wed 15 – Sat 18 March Harrogate Theatre
Tues 21 – Sat 25 March The Lichfield Garrick Theatre & Studio
Tues 28 – Thurs 30 March Theatre Royal Brighton
Tues 4 – Sat 5 April New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Thurs 1 June – Sun 2 July 5959, Brits Off Broadway, New York
For more information please visit www.originaltheatre.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OriginalTheatre
Twitter: @OriginalTheatre
Tues 7 – Sat 11 March Palace Theatre, Southend - www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Wed 15 – Sat 18 March Harrogate Theatre
Tues 21 – Sat 25 March The Lichfield Garrick Theatre & Studio
Tues 28 – Thurs 30 March Theatre Royal Brighton
Tues 4 – Sat 5 April New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Thurs 1 June – Sun 2 July 5959, Brits Off Broadway, New York
For more information please visit www.originaltheatre.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OriginalTheatre
Twitter: @OriginalTheatre
Audience Comments
Kim from Benfleet
"I thought it was very good. I expected it to be just a comedy but it wasn’t. However, I wasn’t disappointed."
Kathy and John from Benfleet
"We had no expectations or preconceived ideas so we were happy to find it entertaining and funny. It sounded interesting so we thought we’d give it a try, we usually go to the Cliffs Pavilion."
"I thought it was very good. I expected it to be just a comedy but it wasn’t. However, I wasn’t disappointed."
Kathy and John from Benfleet
"We had no expectations or preconceived ideas so we were happy to find it entertaining and funny. It sounded interesting so we thought we’d give it a try, we usually go to the Cliffs Pavilion."
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Suzi- Westcliff.
"We like to support the local theatres and this play sounded interesting. The characters were caricatures but made in a real way. Emily was irritating, but all the actors were well cast and very strong. I thought the acting was superb. The play was funny and sad, but that is real life and I didn’t expect the twist or that the ending would be dark, I found it demanded my constant attention as it was so gripping." Peter – Westcliff "I give it 5 stars as it was excellent. It should be in the West End, we go to the theatre a lot and we thought this was very good." Zodie – Westcliff "I thought the direction was excellent and made the play, usually directors are overlooked." |
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