Scouse Potatoes

Authors: Jennifer Bea and Terri Nesbitt

The Actor’s Studio, Liverpool

After innumerable delays and let downs, Scouse Potatoes – a story of everyday young women Superheroes, recovering from a New Year’s Eve Bash in Liverpool before setting about saving the city they love – finally made its way on to a stage, having been first shown at La Casablanca for the first time in 2008. Has the wait been worthwhile? Well, yes, in a lot of ways. The action is smooth and slick. The dialogue sharp and snappy and the premise pretty original. If nothing else, however, it shows that in the face of adversity, if a young group of actors and writers want to put something on badly enough, then there is always a chance in Liverpool.

Jennifer Bea playing Fay, a girl who’s “got off” with her best mate’s bloke the night before, is a graduate of the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester and her qualities clearly shine through here as the guilt ridden young woman with a mean karate chop and x-ray vision.

Emma Lisi as Michelle, the sole Wirralite of the troupe – shines in her part of being the “outsider” and plays “cheated” very well, with a nice sideline in revenge.

Yet it is Terri Nesbitt as Sam who delivers the best lines and holds the attention with a natural stage presence that will without doubt be seen elsewhere and more often.

Yes, there are flaws. Some aspects need extending and have the audience wanting to know more, whereas others are dwelt upon a little too much, but for these there are counterpoints of ingenuity. The use of a big screen to show the “Heroes” begrudgingly setting about saving a Manc from Albert Dock and the parody of Charlie’s Angels being turned into Terry’s Babes is a masterstroke.

And who is going to forget the Baywatch Girls getting doused in jealously thrown vodka and coke having made their grand entrance?

Overall, this is a fun-filled night out and Bea and Nesbitt should be roundly applauded – as should Pauline Daniels and her Actor’s Studio for encouraging new talent – for sticking to their guns, putting in the time, never despairing and putting something together a show that will appeal to anybody with a sense of humour.

Something we critics would always be hard pushed to do.

– by Chris High