Expectations were high. One Man, Two Guvnors had triumphed in the West End to rave reviews and packed out theatres. James Corden was a thespian star. The new comedy had taken everyone by surprise and the great and the good flocked to London to see it. Others, like me, waited patiently for it to come to Oxford and it finally opened on Tuesday to a sold-out New Theatre.
But would it live up to the hype? After all, what did we really know about it? A complicated farcical plot, few well-known names, and the potential to be a washed-out version of the original. And yet, from the start, it swept us along at a rapid pace, taking us on a fun, hilarious, romp through Brighton, our feet scarcely touching the ground.
The plot is largely irrelevant, more a vehicle for the brilliant cast to flex their comic muscles, but, for what it’s worth, it is based around a Shakespeareanesque plot of identity and gender swapping, gangsters, love — oh, and a pub that serves food.
We witness a gangster’s sister holed up in disguise, waiting for her lover in a pub, waiting to abscond to Australia. Unbeknown to either of them, he is keeping a low profile in the same pub and both employ feckless and larger-than-life odd job man/minder Francis Henshall to look after them and do their dirty work, and much hilarity ensues. When I say ‘much’ I mean that when the curtain came down for the interval, we were all wiping away tears. It was properly funny.
This is largely down to the brisk, witty script, hilarious audience participation and some fantastic ad-libbing, but more than that, the casting was inspired, each and every character a gift of stereotyping, from the dumb blonde to the fop, the aged waiter, the feminist secretary, all corralled by the hilarious Francis, part bouncer, part stand-up, played so confidently by Gavin Spokes.
One Man, Two Guvnors is a joy from start to finish, so new and fresh, so full of rumbustiousness. Very Fawlty Towers, very funny, very good.
One Man, Two Guvnors
New Theatre, Oxford
Until Saturday
Box office: 0844 871 3020
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here