Bouncers (Royal Court, Liverpool)
The feisty four of Paul Broughton, Danny O'Brien, Louis Emerick and Michael Starke take on the roles of Les, Ralph, Judd and Lucky Eric in John Godber's play as we join them on their nightly duties manning the door of the infamous Grafton bar in Liverpool.
Bouncers is a fast paced, unique and side-splittingly funny show which sees the manliest of men, protecting the clubbing society, change within seconds to young Scouse birds strutting around the stage with purses.
The show portrays a night in the life of a quartet of bouncers as they deal with an array of undesirable characters; the posh snobs who, to the bouncers disgust, refer to them as ‘waiters’; the college kids; the stag party; and the riotous drunks.
We also see the four actors transform into Scouse girls, starting off in the hairdressing salon as they gossip and giggle away. Louis Emerick at one point describes his stocking and refers to himself as "Susie… sexy" – a complete paradox to the robust and red blooded bouncer we witness only seconds before.
The fluency of the transitions is pulled off by the astonishingly good cast and the deft direction of Bob Eaton, and seem effortless for the actors who take on each and every one of the roles with maximum energy and pizzazz.
Paul Broughton delivers a number of tender and reflective anecdotes to the audience, one of which describes a group of men taking advantage of an 18 year old. Here, we see a darker side to the nightlife scene.
As well as the near faultless characterisations, the performances include a number of small dance routines which saw the four clumsy and ungraceful men ‘get down’ to numbers such as "Thriller", evoking laughter and applause from the audience.
Overall, the show is an exuberant, powerful and, above all, hilarious show that will undoubtedly leave even the most miserable of person with a smirk on their face as all four men take on 50 different characters, each as hilarious and quirky as the last. A fantastic night out that should definitely not be missed!
