Stags and Hens (The Remix) -Review- People's Theatre

Stags and Hens (The Remix)

The People's Theatre

Well, this particular evening I spent a lot of time in the toilets! Not in avoidance of what was going on, on stage because the play itself was below par but because that's where majority of the play is based. Set in 1970's Liverpool the play explores working class society and discusses their habits and attitudes, intellect and their exclusion of the different. The story centres around the two parties; the stags and the hens and the uproar that ensues when the two realise they're in the same place at the same time when it is a law universally known that:

"...Bride and Groom on wedding’s eve
Should never the other one perceive
For if they do they’ll live to see
A marriage without harmony"

This belief is drummed in to you throughout the performance by 'the drunken cry-baby', Maureen and not to give the script away but this analogy may not be too far from the truth as you will see/know from your own experience of the script.

 The People's Theatre Company gave a gallant effort at presenting the piece; at times I found myself forgetting I was in the audience, I totally believed I was there in the thick of these grubby toilets watching events unfold. The play was saturated with humour and crudeness much to the amusement of the audience and smothered in broad Scouse accents which on a couple of occasions were perhaps borderline 'Welsh' sounding but it was more endearing than distracting I assure you! Anyway, who's to say certain members of the group didn't live elsewhere previous to living in Liverpool? (I say this with my tongue very much firmly lying inside my cheek) 

My three stand out performers of the evening were Sarah McGuinness with her great comical delivery of Maureen - delivering witty lines at the right comical timing. Alongside Sarah, I'd like to mention, Joe Mclaughlin who played Kav as he played a very convincing Scouser and seemed very comfortable within his role. I also got a few chuckles from David Robson's performance as Billy. I've seen David in The People's Theatre Company's adaptation of 'A Clockwork Orange' where he played the lead of Alex, who's character is of complete polar opposite to Billy's in this performance. So, I could see his versatility and contrast it with his previous work to rate him as an actor but going off this performance alone he really delivered a humourous and convincing performance as an 'oddball'.

 On the whole, you could sense the great amount of effort the cast had put in to the evening's performance and it certainly paid off. The play was witty, gritty and sharp and definitely 'worth a butchers'. The staff at the theatre were as charming as ever and on hand to assist the audience. The performance was delivered to an exceptionally high standard, the characters were well cast and as ever the lighting and staging were married well with what the audience needed to believe and comprehend the environment and scenes being portrayed.

If you don't manage to make it to the Stags and Hens (The Remix) by The People's Theatre company yourself, I would certainly recommend seeing them perform in their future stage portrayals as they never fail to entertain and put on a good show. Bravo chaps!

Jadefia