Howay the Laffs! -- Guest Review by Doctor Terror
Gerry and Sewell - A Purely Belter Adventure (Aldwych Theatre, London; Theatre Royal, Newcastle in June)
Firstly, it would be wrong to say that this is an out-and-our comedy: its characters, its very milieu is marinaded in the tragedy of the poor, the broken and the dispossessed. Yet there is such warmth and so much laughter that these are the things you walk away remembering. Based on the darker book The Season Ticket and the more light-hearted film Purely Belter, it distils Geordie life into a theatrical experience that stays with you long after the final curtain through the eyes of two lads who attempt to save up for a Newcastle United season ticket to give their lives some meaning.
Although not quite topping Inside No.9 Stage/Fright's 'please turn off your phones' announcement, this comes close as Alan Shearer's voice warns 'otherwise these lads might steal it, just like they stole my car, the little shits'. Many maintain that this is the only time Shearer has sworn in his life. In fact, when the play gets round to the sequence from the film where, in twoccing the striker's car they discover how girly his CD collection is, they have subverted it this time. The car belongs to hated manager Steve Bruce instead. And if you think he gets a kicking, former club owner Mike Ashley of the Sports Direct/House of Fraser empire gets it even worse. And so he should.
The set, while geographically suspect, looks up to majestic silhouettes of St James Park football stadium and the Angel of the North. The mesmerisingly choreographed chorus of hoodie wearing teenagers is very powerful but, to counterbalance such vibes, an incredibly cute little dog that wouldn't be out of place among puppets of War Horse offers light relief. If you don't know the story, you will be on the edge of your seat. Do the boys succeed in raising the money? And, if so how and at what price?
he book ends bleakly, while the film introduces a quantum of redemption. And this? You'll walk away grinning from ear to ear.