Bane

It is not often that we in Leicester are privileged to be visited by an internationally acclaimed phenomenon but tonight, Sunday, I was in the audience of a show at Upstairs at The Western which blew my breath away.
Bane is a comic Raymond Chandler-esque gangster thriller with a script that could be by Mel Brooks or Woody Allen; think Who Killed Roger Rabbit without the annoying cartoons!
Very much in the vein of Sunset Boulevard Bane starts with the apparent death of Bruce Bane, our hero; a gumshoe in the 30's tradition, Bane wisecracks his way in and out of trouble in an hour of laugh out loud moments and hilarious vignettes. Murder, sex and drink are lifeblood to our Bruce. Add into this pleasing mix actor/author Joe Bone's immense talent for physical comedy and you have a complete movie on a bare stage with one man and a guitarist, Ben Roe, playing a score specifically written for the show. I especially liked the way that the guitar never intruded and was very cleverly used to punctuate the action and add atmosphere. So often the soundtrack or music overpowers the actors. Not the case here.
Bone's uncanny ability to change personality before your eyes means you are utterly convinced that you are watching a cast of dozens in every cliched location that the genre demands. Incredibly accurate sound effects are provided by Bone and Roe live on stage.
Joe Bone's undoubted stage skills are superbly complimented by his script. Often watching a 'written, performed and directed by the actor' piece can be excruciating but Bone avoids every self indulgent trap there is to produce a perfect piece of intimate theatre.
This is the first of a trilogy which has finally landed up in the UK after working its way round the world. Watch out for any of the three episodes and grab a ticket for an evening of fast paced hilarity on a shoestring!

First published in Western Gazette 
© Paul Towers 13/10/2014