Review by: Paul Towers, 27 June 2017
Car Park King by Jessica McDonagh
Every Egg A Bird Theatre Company production – James Beglin,
Jessica McDonagh & Kris W Laudrum
Upstairs @ The Western, 27th – 28th
June 2017
“Horrible Histories for grown ups.”
Car Park King is a comedy loosely, very loosely, based on
the life of Leicester’s very own King Richard the Third and probably yet
another thorn in the side of the Richard III Society.
You know you are in for a good laugh when even the programme
causes you to chuckle on the way into the auditorium. This wholly original
comedy, written and acted by Jessica McDonagh and her able company of James
Beglina and Kris W Laudrum is an absurd mixture of Monty Python, Blackadder and
Horrible Histories for grown ups. Right from the moment the lights dim the gags
start to flow and don’t stop for the next hour and 20 minutes.
The set is a wall of heraldic shields with windows that
enable multiple costume changes to be done in a split second and is also the repository
for the many props.
James Beglin as Richard is the single constant as the other
two cast members play a couple of dozen peripheral characters in wacky costumes,
very weird wigs, hats and various accents, not all of which are necessarily
appropriate except for comedy value.
As we make our way through the turbulent life of Richard,
often paying scant attention to linear storytelling, we canter through his
childhood, his brother’s death, his ascension to the crown, his marriage and ultimately
his fateful decision to play the big man on a field in Bosworth before ending
up under a council car park in Leicester.
Car Park King is back at Upstairs at The Western on
Wednesday 28th June although it is probably sold out again.
Full details of the tour can be found at http://bit.do/dxx6R
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