Twin Peaks

Review by: Paul Towers, 19/2/19

Twin Peaks by Mandy Tootill

Upstairs @ The Western, 19 February 2019

“facing breast cancer with a quip and a filthy joke.”

Throughout Leicester Comedy Festival Upstairs at The Western has hosted a whole raft of shows that highlight mental health issues but Twin Peaks is all about one woman’s fight with breast cancer. And what is the best medicine? Laughter.

Mandy Tootill felt a lump 10 years ago while watching Coronation Street (the details only bear repeating on a stage!). She has now been in remission for 10 years but those intervening years saw the horror and humiliation of chemotherapy, extreme weight loss (not something she regrets) and the inevitable hair loss. The benefit, of course, is that she now has the perky breasts of a 20 year old just as she stumbles into premature menopause brought on my her treatment.

Fortunately her partner is an NHS nurse and that, as she recounts with glee, is like having a hot line to NHS Direct when it comes to needing a medical opinion.

Many women would crumble before the onslaught of cancer, but not Mandy. She faced it full on with humour. As she says, you either laugh or cry and she chose to laugh.

Listening to Ms Tootill smacking cancer in the face with a quip and a filthy joke makes you walk away with the assertion that, should you ever be unfortunate enough to follow in her footsteps, you could, hopefully, battle through in the same in-your-face manner.

Check out her website for further opportunities to catch this savvy Manc on tour.

www.comedy-festival.co.uk

www.mandytootillcomedy.com

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
First published on Western Gazette

Rubber Ring - DMU Pride

Review by: Paul Towers, 18 February 2019

Rubber Ring by James McDermott, directed by Siobhan James-Elliott

Performed by James McDermott for DMU Pride

Curve 18/2/19

“an assured performance”

James McDermott’s debut play is a largely autobiographical reflection of the frustration of growing up in the rural backwater that is Sheringham in Norfolk. As his mother says ‘it’s fine to be born here, great to retire to but you don’t want to spend the bit inbetween here’

As the sexually confused 16 year old fictional version of himself, Jimmy latches on to his hero, Morrisey, for inspiration on how to live. To this end he tries desperately to get to London and the gold paved streets around the O2 to see his idol in concert.

His adventures getting there awaken an awareness that, as Dorothy says, there is really no place like home. Even if it is somewhere to come back to sometimes.

McDermott’s writing has very obvious shades of Alan Bennet and Victoria Wood in his ability to paint a complete picture with few words.

Looking very much like a young Derek Jacobi McDermotts assured performance brings a whole host of characters to life before your eyes in a laugh out loud, poignant story of coming of age.

I can see exactly why this show was scheduled for DMU Pride, it is a comforting assurance that those teenage doubts and uncertainties can be confronted and dealt with.

As part of DMU Pride at Curve on Wednesday 20^th February there is Drip, a one man musical comedy about a 15 year old synchronised swimmer who can’t swim. Monday 25^th February sees Gypsy Queen’s return to Curve by popular demand. On Thursday 28^th February there is Joan, a drag king’s homage to the men she defies. Finally, for those feeling brave, there is a dance workshop on Friday 22^nd February for those who want to learn to walk or dance in heels. Or maybe just take a class for the hell of it!

Full details of Curve’s DMU Pride events can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yb4lm4x3 or via the Curve website

The entire schedule of all events for DMU Pride can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ybh4n4v7

http://ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk/

Those Magnificent Men

Review by: Paul Towers, 15/2/19

Those Magnificent Men by Brian Mitchell & Joseph Nixon

An Ornate Johnsons & The Foundry Group presentation for Leicester Comedy Festival

Upstairs @ The Western, 15 & 16 Feb 2019

“hilariously entertaining and educational”

Year in year out The Foundry Group return to Upstairs at The Western to tickle our laughter buds with diverse productions such as The Ministry of Biscuits, Gilbert (No Sullivan) and Big Daddy vs Giant Haystacks. This year was a welcome reprise of Those Magnificent Men, a tongue in cheek homage to the bravery, ingenuity and sheer British spunk of aviation innovators John Alcock and Arthur Brown, the first people to fly non stop across the Atlantic Ocean.

In trademark Foundry Group style the daredevil story of daring do is told with a mixture of comedy and drama. We sat in the audience, hearts in our mouths, as the intrepid pair coaxed their converted Vickers biplane (2 tables, a couple of chairs and 4 broom sticks) across more than 1000 miles of fog bound sea with only the most primitive of  instruments to, just, land safely in West Ireland to national acclaim.

Played with relish by the author Brian Mitchell and long time side kick David Mountfield this is an hilariously entertaining and educational story of old fashioned Boys Own adventuring. Both actors play an array of characters, often with outrageously inappropriate accents. As always The Foundry Group stage their shows on a shoestring but the make-do props and scenery only add to the hilarity.

Those Magnificent Men is on again tomorrow (Saturday) with limited tickets available. Grab a seat and prepare for an evening of adventure by the seat of your pants.

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
Details of the continuing tour can be found at www.foundrygroup.co.uk

First published in Western Gazette

How to act windy

Review by: Paul Towers, 14 February 2019

How To Act Windy by Pritchard & Morgan

Upstairs @ The Western, Thursday, 14 February 2019

“an hilarious misadventure in education”

Schadenfreude is the satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune and Katie Pritchard and Eleri Morgan in How To Act Windy deliver that satisfaction in spades.

The two girls were, for some time, reduced to working on a Theatre In Education foreign tour about dinosaurs aimed at children 3-5 years old. This is the edited highlights (lowlights?) of possibly the most inappropriate and badly organised tour ever thrust upon the world’s toddlers.

With extracts from the “script” and horror tales of bad organisation the girls drag us through an hilarious misadventure in education. The highlight, of course, is a pair of dinosaurs onstage. Make of that what you will.

Details of future performances can be found at www.katiepritchard.co.uk

Leicester Comedy Festival www.comedy-festival.co.uk

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
First published on Western Gazette

Pol Penter - Sertaline Queen

Review by: Paul Towers, 11 February 2019

Sertaline Queen by Pol Penter

A Leicester Comedy Festival presentation

Upstairs @ The Western, 11 February 2019

“a very funny lady”

Following on from her sold out appearance at the Camden Fringe Pol Penter follows it up with a sold out performance at Upstairs at The Western as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival. The show was so popular that extra seating had to be put in.

In the past no-one talked about mental health and people bottled it up and suffered in silence, often making it far worse. There was little help. Now we are surrounded by people sharing their experiences and allowing conversations to be started and help sought.

Pol Penter suffers with anxiety and depression. Not that you would know it from the almost manic confidence she displays on stage. This is the result of the prescription Sertaline she takes. That and the fact that she can get up on stage and talk about coping with depression.

Although born and bred in Bradford she now lives in London and the north/south divide colours a lot of her comedy to great effect. Working for an American university in the UK also provides her with a rich seam of comedy.

Her tales are interspersed with original songs and the hour flew by.

Catch this very funny lady if you can. Information about upcoming appearances can be found here https://tinyurl.com/y3hhc277

Details of all Leicester Comedy gigs can be found at https://comedy-festival.co.uk/

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
First published on Western Gazette

Damon Conlan

Review by: Paul Towers, 10 February 2019

Damon Conlan, Jocular Prestidigitator

Leicester Comedy Festival

Upstairs @ The Western, 10 February

“hilariously bumbling magic.”

Ever since the comedy juggernaut that was Tommy Cooper dropped dead onstage there has been a dearth of  comedic conjurors and magic manipulators. Damon Conlan goes some way to filling that void. His bumbling persona teeters on the precipice of failure throughout his 60 minute set at Upstairs at The Western. But somehow he always manages to save himself from disaster.

Damon likes to call himself a Jocular Prestidigitator because it has long words in it and makes him sound clever. Which he is, though not in the way you immediately think.

With a winning mix of good close-up magic and sarcastic humour Conlan mystifies and entertains as he gently rips the audience apart while often seeming to lose his way. There is lots of audience participation so don’t be shy.

Details of future gigs can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yyy55qo3

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/

First published on Western Gazette

The Barn Ultimatum

Review by: Paul Towers, 06 February 2019

The Barn Ultimatum by Tom Allsopp

Upstairs @ The Western, 6^th February 2019

“a gloriously bonkers story"

What would happen if Chicken Run was crossed with Animal Farm? The Barn Ultimatum is what would happen.

This gloriously bonkers story is of a group of animals who, after 20,000 years, have finally twigged exactly why humans feed them and give them clean straw for their beds. Meat.

Cow, chicken and pig get together to try and find out what is going on. Pig definitely knows something is afoot. Chicken is running around like she is headless and cow accuses pig of being paranoid and coming up with ridiculous ‘cowspiracy’ theories.

Of course all is finally revealed in an equally daft denouement.

The bright and witty script is littered with animal based puns and the tight cast of three (no names available, unfortunately) create mayhem culminating in a fabulously camp fight

Tom Allsop has created an animal world worthy of  Glen Larson at his most bizarre. A hoot from start to finish with a suitably weird soundtrack.

The Barn Ultimatum is the first of Upstairs at the Western’s Leicester Comedy Festival shows on over the next 19 days. Most days have two shows, some have three. The website contains the most uptodate listing.

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
First published on Western Gazette