Beat Surrender (Re:Play Manchester)

Co-authors Brian M Clarke and Tom Elliott use an imaginary meeting between Beat writer Jack Kerouac (Patrick Lally) and a fan Maggie (Java Bere) to show the way that literature can enrich and transform lives. Their enthusiasm and use of extensive extracts from Kerouac’s writings (along with their own convincing approximations) help to prove the point but go too far – forcing the audience into submission. This over eagerness affects the performances so that Bera makes Maggie a little too bubbly.

Some objectivity would be welcome. Whilst, say, Terry Johnson would have Truman Capote comment here the only dissent comes from a philistine so crudely drawn (Peter Carruthers in a thankless role) as to be easily dismissed.

Director Helen Parry sets the play appropriately in a neverland – a gentleman’s club in which both Kerouac’s casual clothes and Maggie’s party dress are acceptable. It is hard to escape the feeling, however, that the sheer volume of words would make this production as suitable for radio as the stage

Lally is a charismatic Kerouac bringing a rumpled charm to the role and speaking the beat dialogue beautifully and with worn passion.

An over-zealous approach spoils the play making this an occasion when less would have been more

– Dave Cunningham