All An Act

This show was quite a bit shorter than the drive down to The Bike Shed, let alone the drive back ... but it was worth it, actually, it might even have been worth walking all that way, possibly on my knees, to see it ... or is that going too far?

Sean Michael Welch has produced a beautifully crafted little play (around 45mins) which takes us into the dressing room of two clowns, lifelong friends, whose relationship has been set askew by a drunken sex incident. The juxtaposition of the clowning and comedy with the the serious and, at times, pathetic real lives of the two characters is well handled and builds to one of the best written (and most competently handled) on stage arguments I have ever seen.

As the characters move between their real and circus persona we learn much of their backgrounds, relationship and current states of woe and, although not a complete surprise, the ending is beautifully handled, in silence, a powerful and much underused form of stage "dialogue".

Never less than completely convincing and natural, the acting was a delight - would that some of the audience had been as focused; was it really necessary to suck the last of your drink through a straw in the quiet moments, or leave your mobile on vibrate on a wooden floor ... come on people, I mean ... come on ... a bit of courtesy to the actors if you please.

A highly enjoyable evening and a piece of theatre I shall remember for some time to come, I'm only sorry it wont be around for longer ... excellent.