One Man, Two Guvnors was performed on 27th-28th February in The Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster.
Cast & Crew
Director: Liam Wells
Assistant Director: Liv Burton Producer: Alex Lui Assistant Producers: Becky Kinge & Hannah Cooper Stage Managers: Simon Dewsnip & Laurence Bickerton Assistant Stage Managers: Izzy Everatt, Matt Fox & Paula Kolar Francis Henshall: Luke McDonnell Rachel Crabbe: Chiara Wakely Stanley Stubbers: Jamie Lonsdale Charlie 'The Duck' Clench: Callum Berridge Dolly: Zoë Cooke Pauline Clench: Aurelia Gage Alan Dangle: Will Dean Lloyd: Peter Bache Harry Dangle/Ensemble: Ishan Ganjoor Alfie/Ensemble: Joe Maddocks |
In 1960s Brighton, a socially naive Francis Henshall becomes separately employed by two men – Roscoe Crabbe, a local gangster and Stanley Stubbers, an upper class criminal. Francis tries to keep the two from meeting, in order to avoid each of them learning that Francis is also working for someone else. However, it turns out that Roscoe is really Rachel Crabbe in disguise, her twin brother Roscoe having been killed by her lover, who is none other than Stanley Stubbers.
Mixed in with this confusion is Pauline Clench, daughter of Charlie 'The Duck', who was promised to Roscoe before his untimely death and is now in love with Alan Dangle but upon Roscoe's return, is forced back into her previous engagement. Except Roscoe is really Rachel. Hilarity ensues. |
"So do you see how the play works? In the first half I'm driven by my animal urges, hunger. But in this second half, because I've eaten I'm humanised, civilised and can embrace the potentiality of love. Which, in this version is expressed as a bunk up in Mallorca!" - Francis Henshall
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Rehearsal Process
Performance 28/02/16
Review by Greg Walker
LUTG’s production of One Man Two Guvnors is hands down one of the best productions the society has ever put on.
Right from the opening scene we know we’re onto something special. The first thing that catches the eye is the set. It is a marvel, truly a triumph and credit must be given to both the ingenuity and perseverance of the production team – clearly hours of hard work went into it and it really pays off. The set is designed in a way that it can be rotated during scene changes to great effect and it is really massively impressive and not something one would expect in what is not only not only an amateur production, but a student one at that.
With a cast of ten, it’s too much to discuss them all, but it’s safe to say they are one of the strongest ensembles gathered together in a long time. Particular credit must go to Luke McDonnell, Jamie Lonsdale, Chiara Wakely and Aurelia “I don’t understand” Gage who give arguably the strongest performances (and in a cast this strong, that’s really saying something).
McDonnell is really quite good as the incompetent Henshall, bumbling his way from one disaster to the next as he finds himself under the employment of not one, but two ‘Guvnors’. McDonnell has a natural affinity for comedy, and is rather encapsulating as he flails from one scene to the next, in a character that perfectly matches his real life cockney charm. Sadly, his character-breaking improvisations leave a bit to be desired, and some are more successful than others, but his performance really is excellent, and holds together what can be a somewhat bounding narrative.
Stealing every scene is Jamie Lonsdale as Stanley Stubbers, the most outrageous character in the play. His wonderfully random exclamations of shock (such as the infinitely repeatable “bacon and eggs!”) and general political incorrectness make him one of the funniest characters in the show, and Lonsdale absolutely nails the character and the audience love his every word. To take a character who could be so easy to despise and make him somehow lovable is a testament to Lonsdale’s skill as an actor.
To discuss every actor in detail would take too much time, and no mention here does not equate to an insubstantial performance. Truly they are an excellent cast, and each one absolutely embodies their role. The final song at the end, though disappointingly inaudible in parts, is a joy, showcasing all ten of the wonderful cast on stage at the same time and making clear just how much fun the group clearly had working together.
This is theatre group veteran Liam Wells’ first venture into the world of direction. It doesn’t show. So many decisions must have been made by Wells during the process and each one of them was a correct one. One of the best is Wells’ decision to use a live band – a great touch that really contributes to the feel of watching something special. Even the set changes become some form of entertainment, with in-character bits which keep the audience chuckling, more so than the usual backing track pumped out over a speaker would.
I could talk for hours about the brilliance of this production. But I won’t. All I’ll say is that One Man just goes to show that imagination, not budget, is one of the most important facets of theatre – and Wells’ production has truly set a standard which it will be difficult to match for a long time to come.
Right from the opening scene we know we’re onto something special. The first thing that catches the eye is the set. It is a marvel, truly a triumph and credit must be given to both the ingenuity and perseverance of the production team – clearly hours of hard work went into it and it really pays off. The set is designed in a way that it can be rotated during scene changes to great effect and it is really massively impressive and not something one would expect in what is not only not only an amateur production, but a student one at that.
With a cast of ten, it’s too much to discuss them all, but it’s safe to say they are one of the strongest ensembles gathered together in a long time. Particular credit must go to Luke McDonnell, Jamie Lonsdale, Chiara Wakely and Aurelia “I don’t understand” Gage who give arguably the strongest performances (and in a cast this strong, that’s really saying something).
McDonnell is really quite good as the incompetent Henshall, bumbling his way from one disaster to the next as he finds himself under the employment of not one, but two ‘Guvnors’. McDonnell has a natural affinity for comedy, and is rather encapsulating as he flails from one scene to the next, in a character that perfectly matches his real life cockney charm. Sadly, his character-breaking improvisations leave a bit to be desired, and some are more successful than others, but his performance really is excellent, and holds together what can be a somewhat bounding narrative.
Stealing every scene is Jamie Lonsdale as Stanley Stubbers, the most outrageous character in the play. His wonderfully random exclamations of shock (such as the infinitely repeatable “bacon and eggs!”) and general political incorrectness make him one of the funniest characters in the show, and Lonsdale absolutely nails the character and the audience love his every word. To take a character who could be so easy to despise and make him somehow lovable is a testament to Lonsdale’s skill as an actor.
To discuss every actor in detail would take too much time, and no mention here does not equate to an insubstantial performance. Truly they are an excellent cast, and each one absolutely embodies their role. The final song at the end, though disappointingly inaudible in parts, is a joy, showcasing all ten of the wonderful cast on stage at the same time and making clear just how much fun the group clearly had working together.
This is theatre group veteran Liam Wells’ first venture into the world of direction. It doesn’t show. So many decisions must have been made by Wells during the process and each one of them was a correct one. One of the best is Wells’ decision to use a live band – a great touch that really contributes to the feel of watching something special. Even the set changes become some form of entertainment, with in-character bits which keep the audience chuckling, more so than the usual backing track pumped out over a speaker would.
I could talk for hours about the brilliance of this production. But I won’t. All I’ll say is that One Man just goes to show that imagination, not budget, is one of the most important facets of theatre – and Wells’ production has truly set a standard which it will be difficult to match for a long time to come.
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