Stage: What The Hell – The gastronomical comedy

Brighton Fringe 2014 dishes up a delicious slice of Dante’s infernal comedy

Put together two of my great loves, food and theatre, and add my third – devilishly bad behaviour – and you are bound to spark my appetite. So Paolo Serra together with “Otherplace Productions” with what they claim to be the first “edible” play, inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy have done just that. Not that I subscribe to the first edible play idea, Vincent in Brixton did that with a leg of lamb roasting on stage and driving audiences wild with hunger, and Chichester Festival Theatre’s marvelous musical version of Love Story doing similar with real time pasta pommodoro – yum. But hey, I’m always up for a third serving.

“What the Hell – The Gastronomical Comedy” is a “finely chopped” modern story of an Italian man’s journey to London, “garnished” with the first canticle of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy: his epic poem about a journey into Hell. I’m aready loving their culinary metaphors.

Their modern Dante dreams of becoming an actor, but unfortunately he’s a much better chef (
although why unfortunately when TV chefs are the new screen idols). Surrounding him are the lost souls of New Troy… will he be able to escape this Inferno? Will he get his dessert? In the meantime they promise a taste of Italian cuisine.

The show is in English and will be opened by one of the most famous Italian stand-up comedians: Alessandro Bianchi. The entire duration is 75 minutes, and will include – for some lucky audience members – a taste of some “stage made” pasta al Pesto.

Gian and Louise have worked with TNT Theatre and the American Drama Group Europe, giving performances across the globe. Gian is also member of the STOMP cast – The Lost and Found Orchestra – and Jud has just finished filming the latest feature film directed by Terry Jones: “Absolutely anything”.
The director Paolo Serra has worked as an author with some of the biggest Italian comedians from theatre and TV. He’s also the co-author of the bestselling novel “Nel mezzo del casin di nostra vita”, based on the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri.

What the Hell, The Gastronomical Comedy, 26-27 May 7pm
The Warren – Main House, Russell Place, Brighton

AWARD-WINNING ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS AT THE HAWTH

The National Theatre’s award-winning comedy directed by Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors comes to The Hawth this August as part of a thirty-seven city tour of the UK and Ireland.

Gavin Spokes takes the central role of loveable chancer, Francis Henshall. Shaun Williamson will play Charlie Clench. Emma Barton will play Dolly, and Jasmyn Banks is Pauline Clench.

Gavin Spokes is currently playing Parsons in the Almeida/Headlong production of 1984 which is just about to transfer to the West End. Gavin’s previous NT work includes Francis in the West End production of One Man, Two Guvnors and Jamie Lloyd’s production of She Stoops to Conquer.

Shaun Williamson, who is probably best known for his role in EastEnders, has also made TV appearances in Extras and Life’s Too Short for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, New Tricks, The Secret Policeman’s Ball, and Bremner, Bird and Fortune. His stage work includes The Ladykillers for Fiery Angel.

Emma Barton is well known to TV viewers for her role as Honey Mitchell in EastEnders. Jasmyn Banks played Alice Branning in EastEnders.

Nicholas Hytner’s five star production tells the hilarious story of Francis Henshall who, fired from his skiffle band, becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe. But Roscoe is really Rachel, posing as her own dead brother – who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a job with one Stanley Stubbers – but to prevent discovery, he must keep his two guvnors apart. It has been described as a glorious celebration of British comedy – a unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, songs, slapstick and glittering one-liners.

The acclaimed production is based on Richard Bean’s version of Carlo Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy, The Servant of Two Masters and has songs by Grant Olding, performed by The Craze. Now seen by over 1 million people worldwide, this internationally-acclaimed smash-hit, hailed as ‘the funniest show on the planet’ by The Mail and a ‘comic classic’ by The Guardian, will be in Crawley for one week only so do’t miss your chance to see it – book now!

One Man, Two Guvnors, The Hawth 18 – 23 August
Box Office 01293 553636 or visit www.hawth.co.uk.