Laugh Out Loud at Life
Theatre has always been the natural home of comedy but never better than when that comedy is a reflection of the real world. And right now we could probably do with a good chuckle, so what better solution than to spend a night or even two watching some brilliant, home grown comedy.
My first recommendation has a to be The Wagatha Christie Trial, Vardy v Rooney. In all honesty, as the real trial hit the courts I could not have been less interested in the fate of two WAGS, the spat between two privileged young women on social media simply bored me, especially when so many other and frankly more important issues were in the public eye. And then I went to London to see the show in advance of it coming to Theatre Royal Brighton for a very short run at the end of what has been a much acclaimed west end run and short tour.
I simply loved it, you could not make up a story as ridiculous as this and you certainly couldn’t write better lines and funnier lines – and in fact the creators of this hilarious piece didn’t really have to do that.
The script, for the most part, is actually an edited transcript of the trial – word for word! Edited from seven unbelievable days of High Court transcripts, this is the case of Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney unfolding in their own words. It’s beautifully done and expertly handled stuff, writer Liv Hennessy simply adds the device of two football pundits who punctuate the actual transcript to clarify time, space and legal procedure. Directed by Lisa Spirling this is cunning stuff, milking every last laugh from their real words and exposing the craziness of a court system in which what should, in an unaffected world, have been a short lived spat between rivals – but not for WAGS who enjoy the crazy public world of celebrity turning fame into infamy.
The cast are excellent too. Lucy May Barker is the icy cold Rebekah Vardy, dressed to kill in sharp designer gear aiming to look seriously serious and innocent. Barker is blissfully funny, contained and confident about here case which gradually crumbles as Rooney’s barrister David Sherborne, played by Tom Turner, runs rings around her. Two comic performances that are not to be missed.
On the other side of the court is Coleen Rooney, played by Laura Dos Santos. Rooney is beautifully portrayed as the the victim and has some of the funniest lines as she is grilled by Vardey’s barrister Hugh Tomlinson QC, played by Jonnie Broadbent.
Coming almost fresh and with no preconceptions to this, I was horrified at the waste of legal time and money that this ridiculous court case displayed but roared with laughter as the whole debacle unfolded before my eyes in a game of two halves that I guarantee will put a broad smile on the faces of people whether you care about the WAGS, or football, or social media… it’s not art imitating life, it’s art reflecting with clarity the absurdities of life.
The same day, after a quick bite to eat, I headed over to see TONY! The Tony Blair Rock Opera, and yes you read that right. Rock opera, a thing that goes back to the late sixties when The Who released Tommy and then Quadrophenia. It wasn’t a theatrical form at all at the point but a marketing ploy larded with pretentious aspiration to great “Art”.
Comedian and absurdist Harry Hill has taken up the baton, but this time on stage and not on vinyl, to tell his version of the rise and fall of Tony Blair, MP, PM and vilified head of New Labour. Hill’s usual silliness as seen on TV gives way here to sharp satire, yes there are some very silly moments along the way but in this case used to great effect to illustrate the lunacy of party politics and internal back stabbing.
The show certainly rocks, Steve Brown’s music and lyrics drive along Hill’s script with almost breathless energy and Hill himself leaves no character un-stoned in a verbal onslaught that sees that era of politics exposed and raw.
Jack Whittle’s Blair is a grinning puppet, eager to please at whatever cost to both himself and the country. Tori Burgess plays Cheri with the scally but ambitious charm of a Cilla Black or Coleen Rooney. Howard Samuels is utterly wonderful cropping up throughout as Peter Mandelson and the rest of the cast in turn play the members of Blairs’ cabinet with razor sharp precision, albeit with a damning satirical edge. Phil Sealey’s Gordon Brown is a tragi-comic masterpiece and whoever thought to show Saddam Hussein as Groucho Marx deserves a BAFTA all their own.
From start to finish this is an hilarious romp through a turbulent political era that pokes fun but also make poignant observations of the nature of party politics and finally points out that we, the great British public, put these people in charge.
The Wagatha Christie Trial, Vardy V Rooney is at Theatre Royal Brighton Thu 15 June – Sat 17 June
TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] is at Theatre Royal Brighton Tue 27 June – Sat 1 July
