Bouncers make it another memorable night!
After two runs at Harrogate Theatre and a previous run in Pateley Bridge, it was a brave move by Pateley Bridge Dramatic Society to return to John Godber’s ‘Bouncers’, a celebration of the fun, filth and fury of a Friday night out somewhere in the Northern wilds. With so much recent exposure, and with such a well-known show, it could have proved difficult to bring audiences a cocktail they hadn’t already downed one-too-many of in the past.
Happily the show was much more than a re-run of the last production, downplaying the bawdy slapstick of the alcohol-fuelled nights out (while still keeping Godber’s deft comic touch intact) and opting to underscore the play with a slightly more aggressive mood. Lads on their night out jostle and snarl for the barman’s attention; the binge-drinking girls wade through their ‘bathfuls of booze’ with increased bitchiness; and presiding over it all, the four bouncers simmer with violent potential, looking for any excuse to take out their frustrations on the clients, the passers-by, or – if all else fails - each other.
The fact that all these conflicting ingredients are played by a male cast of four makes the achievement all the more impressive – Michael Thorne, Steve Rouse, Peter Buller and Nevin Ward (l to r above) bring a tremendous, nervy energy to their performances, which is vital to the success of Wahneta Thorne’s more menacing vision of the play. A minimal set and cracking soundtrack, plus an excellent central performance from Nevin Ward as Lucky Eric, the troubled, thinking hardman, make for suitably gritty entertainment, with sharp laughs, tough talking and even the odd surreal moment (don’t miss the inspired David Attenborough interlude in the gents’ loos, either). You may know the story, but this excellent, growling, tragicomic version is well worth getting on the guest list for – just don’t look funny at the Bouncers on your way in.
Kirsty McMurdo
‘Bouncers’ was also performed in Kirkby Malzeard (Mechanics’ Institute) on July 7