One Man, Two Guvnors

I am still reeling from last night's performance of One Man, Two Guvnors at The Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. This National Theatre production, superbly directed by the genius who is Nicholas Hytner and starring James Corden, is bar far the funniest thing I have ever seen on stage. In fact I had to concentrate on not laughing because my head hurt from a succession of hilarious turns. This is a highly original presentation based on an Italian farce, but imbued with the comic stupidity and coarseness that is British humour.

It all starts with a skiffle group (James Corden's character it turns out has been sacked from one such band) on stage, playing original material by Grant Olding, for ten minutes as the audience take their seats. I say skiffle, because the percussionist plays a washboard (not even as well as I could in the old days), but an electric guitar was never skiffle, and where was the banjo? Apart from that, they were really very good. Music plays a big part in the play. On occasions, between scenes, the curtain is drawn and the band come back on, and later are replaced by members of the cast who at various times perform a turn. James Corden on xylophone and the two black members of the cast with their calypso are highlights. As I say, highly original.

The play itself is part farce, part stand up (James again), part audience participation. And given the complications of the plot, you would think it very strange. But in some miraculous way, it works superbly. James Corden, who I never really liked before, turns out to be a fantastic comedy actor and stand up comedian as the bumbling minder Francis Henshall. His interaction with the audience had me in fits of laughter, in fact I cannot remember the last time I laughed so much. The last half hour of the long one hour forty minutes first half, is non stop laughing. The whole of the cast are larger than life and ham it up splendidly. I especially liked Oliver Chris as the ex public school twit Stanley Stubbers who also happens to be a murderer. And somehow newcomer Tom Edden is brilliant as the 87 year old decrepit and abused waiter Alfie, the male equivalent of Mrs Overall from Acorn Antiques.

The final plaudits must go to Richard Bean for his adaptation of Carlo Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters. Thank goodness that this is a theatre going experience that will tour for years and years, so all the people who will hear about it can see it for themselves, and I can go again.