Latest 7 magazine

On the day The Guardian declared Brighton the new San Francisco, San Franciscan Mark Eitzel launched his musical about our city – and rather drizzled on the parade. A collaboration between the American Music Club frontman and acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens, this one-act musical applies their shared interests in dislocation and emotional authenticity to the inhabitants of a Brighton B&B. It’s great to see The Old Market being used for theatre; the cast are faultless (even if George from Drop The Dead Donkey unsurprisingly can’t sing); and Lee Ross’s B&B owner struggling to open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (“bastard!”) is one of the funniest things we’ve seen in ages. But with the band at the back the energy is dislodged from the off, the lighting adds to the feel of the rehearsal room, Eitzel’s bar-stool introspection shrinks from the format, and all the criss-crossing of couples really amounts to is the observation that Brighton is the sort of place where people feel emboldened to ask for kisses, and frivolous enough to give them. There’s a funny and tender play in here. But you don’t go away from a musical humming the dialogue.
The Old Market, 19 May (until 23 May)
2/5
Bella Todd

In a small theatre in New Orleans at the beginning of WWII, we meet Lilotta VaVoom, a showgirl with no discernible talent, who dreams of making it big in the business. Add to the mix an oily lothario of an illusionist (Boo!), bitchy chorus chorus girls and ego-driven leading ladies, and you have all the ingredients for a thoroughly enjoyable night out. The songs are catchy, the dancing tight. The large, well drilled cast perform with brio and enthusiasm – and the distinct whiff of hokiness which pervades the piece only adds to the show’s charm. A certain ballast is provided by two journalists (one English, the other American) whose regular broadcasts nicely set-up the historical context of the story.
The New Madeira Hotel, 19 May (until 23)
4/5
Gary Mepsted

Packed with energy, this comedy duo were easy to watch and had some of the audience in hysterics.
Strong (the tall and confident Anna-Maria Nabirye), and equally exuberant Wrong (Dan Carter-Hope – “Keanu Reeves crossed with a dirty tramp”) have a huge array of accents, songs and sketches, which at best are bizarre, ridiculous and hilarious (one highlight being a song about a man who speaks to dead animals). They tackled the big issues: sexism, relationships and racism with irrespressible silliness, and the result was a non-confrontational hour of escapist, intelligent nonsense.
Studenty, experimental and at times very funny and original; a well-rounded show.
The Temple, 16 May
4/5
Rachel Pegg

This sketch comedy duo had splashes of comedy gold, mixed in with masses of enthusiasm. The marrying of Nick Schofield’s manic energy with Claire Armstrong’s controlled strength created a great balance, using the silences and responses just as much as the initial gags, heightening them and getting the laughter from each punchline to the max. Highlights included great tight one-liners, the physical comedy from each in a massage gone awry and a pick-up by flash cards in a noisy club. In fact, some of the set-ups and dialogue of the sketches were stronger than the eventual pay-off punch, the noisy club being a case in point. And there was an unexpected moment of tenderness slap bang in the middle of a Jeremy Kyle pastiche. The performers were both great: acting without corpsing and holding their nerve to build up the comedic tension, and although the writing was in parts patchy it had moments of laugh out loud fabuloso-ness.
Marlborough Little Theatre, 18 May
3/5
Victoria Nangle