Theatre Review: One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

One Man, Two Guvnors, Theatre by the Lake

By Ken Powell

**An apology: I hereby apologise to all members of the audience on the opening night of One Man, Two Guvnors last night. I think everyone in the theatre heard me roaring with laughter and I did so – shamelessly, I might add – through the entire performance. Mind you, we all did; but I was so much louder. I believe the appropriate parlance in modern social media speak is: Sorry, not sorry.**

Here at NAR, our team tend to compare all comedies with Theatre by the Lake’s (TBTL) superlative 39 Steps from many years ago. There was nothing funnier. One Man, Two Guvnors absolutely stands neck and neck with that astonishingly funny production. This latest from TBTL is a modern classic, for sure. Many of us recall watching the James Corden version on TV just as the first lockdown occurred and loved it then. Enough time has passed to forget the jokes and find it hilarious all over again. Richard Bean is astonishingly good at great British slapstick humour. It’s no surprise that he is trained as a social psychologist; he knows how to tickle ribs.

Seeing it on TBTL’s main stage however, makes it all the more special. While this production has been created in partnership with Bolton’s Octagon theatre and Liverpool’s Everyman & Playhouse theatres, it has all the hallmarks of a TBTL work where the actors on the stage are consummate musicians too. The skiffle music, embodying the flavour of feel-good 60s spirit, occurs throughout the show as players leap off the stage and onto the instruments so fluidly I didn’t see them go from one to the other for most of the time. I know actors are versatile, but TBTL gets the very, very best.

This is an ideal family show for young people new to the theatre. There is the showing of knives and talk of murder but it is done so lightly and with great humour as to be innocuous. Older children will definitely love the humour, and if you love good old British farce, you will too. The story follows the antics of Francis Henshall in 1960s Brighton, accidentally working for two people at the same time and trying to get out of scrapes as a result while really just wanting to get something to eat. What follows is a whirlwind of chaos and mayhem.

All eleven members of this huge team perform faultlessly but there are some which must get that extra-special praise.

Jordan Pearson plays the titular ‘one man’, Francis Henshall, and works the audience like a pro-comedian in a working man’s club; except that he’s lovely with it too and his interactions are gentle without losing any of the humour. Just as well, because the fourth wall isn’t so much broken through as obliterated!

Much more caustic is the character of Stanley Stubbers played to perfection by Laurie Jamieson. Playing a Blackadder-esque public school boy wally, Stubbers is toe-curlingly awful while also being loveable (despite his dastardly deeds). Bean has given him some of the best lines in the play.

But – oh my god – go see this production for Javier Marzan. Playing the doddery octogenarian waiter, Alfie, Marzan is the main reason for my opening apology. Simply great, great physical comedy. He’s the reason you should take along your young teenagers and perhaps older pre-teens if you want to introduce them to theatre. You can’t find a better play to take them to for pure entertainment.

Indeed, I would say that if you’ve booked a holiday over August, you should cancel it and see this play instead. It’ll be cheaper and you’ll get far more laughs for your bucks. Having toured the Octagon and Playhouse already, this is your last opportunity to see this super comedy. I don’t know if it is already a sell-out (l suspect it will swiftly be so, if not), but it deserves to have every single seat filled on every night, right into September. The only caveat to that is: get there early enough to get your drinks. TBTL really need to get more staff behind the bar especially ten minutes before a show starts. The queue is always stressfully long. Nevertheless, plan well, get your drink in hand ready to take into the theatre and enjoy one of the funniest nights you’ll experience in a very long time. It does not get better than this.

One Man, Two Guvnors is showing at Theatre by the Lake’s Main House until Saturday 3 Sept 2022. To find out more call the Box Office on 017687 74411 or visit www.theatrebythelake.com.