Wednesday, 22 July 2009

5:30 - Cheapseats Theatre, 24/7 Festival Manchester

5:30
Writer: Alistair McDowell
Director: Clive Judd
Reviewer: John Roberts

Friendship can at times be a fickle thing, just how do we make friends when we have never had any? To what lengths would you go to get a friend? and to what length would you make sure that friendship was real and one that will last the test of time?


Those are the questions that are brought up in Cheapseats Theatre Company’s production of 5:30, Alistair McDowell has written a sure fire hit. Fast in pace, hilariously funny and brutally hard hitting, you can’t help leaving after 55 minutes and grabbing a drink to mull over everything you have just experienced.

Clive Judd has directed this two hander with a real aplomb, the detail in the comedy, the tension, the pathos is weaved in a way that wouldn’t look out of place on a bigger west-end stage a real tour-de-force of theatrical delight.

Rob played excruciatingly menacing by Peter Ash is a masterclass in performing, the energy and power he paces through the lines is pure brilliance and one would only hope that this performance leads him onto bigger and better things. Adam Caslin (Tim) provides a suitable more quieter but equally disturbing character performance.

you may be asking the question that this reviewer isn’t giving much away...well the company have kindly requested that we don’t give anything away and if this show was a huge flop I wouldn’t really care about keeping to that request, but it isn’t! It is one of the strongest pieces of theatre I have seen for a long time and if you really want to know what happens to the friendship of Rob & Tim, I suggest you get your ticket as quickly as possible as this is bound to sell out quickly!
frontpage hit counter