Simon Lee appreciates the oft forgotten stalwarts of a good night out, the Bouncers
John Godber’s Bouncers has once again come to life in the depths of London, taking up residence in the basement of the Leicester Square Theatre. Telling of the characters that inhabit the nights out in our town, this involves drunken louts, arguing women, perverted DJs, and, highlighting what we often forget, it involves the bouncers. The heroes, or if you will, the anti-heroes of the play, these are four thuggish men who guard the gateway to a world of sex, drink and general debauchery.
It's a powerful beginning, as Prokofiev’s ‘Montagues and Capulets’ fills the room and four men take to the stage, dressed in tuxedos, one led by a noose around his neck. Perhaps an observation of something, but mostly it sets the tone.
Bouncers is an example of the more artful use of stereotypes: it's observational as much as it is witty. Newbie bouncer Judd is a balance of innocence, stupidity and hormones and his depiction by Simon Higgins is spot on. But it’s ‘Lucky’ Eric – played to perfection by David Bauckman – who steals the show and our hearts. Eric is tired of his job and the people he encounters. Constantly ripped by his colleagues about his cheating wife, he regularly takes centre stage for speeches about the things he’s seen on the job: girls at the mercy of men, and the horrors alcohol induces. In contrast to the rest of the play, he is touching and thought-provoking, and you’re left with the hope that fatherly Eric will follow through with his musings about leaving this job. Somehow it’s clear he never will.
The versatility and skill of the cast is truly impressive, with each actor taking on multiple characters. There are the bouncers who then become a group of alcohol fuelled lads, as stereotypical as you can get: trying to out-drink one another, and out on the town with one purpose in mind… girls. And these girls are again played by the same cast members, the transition from each set of characters flawlessly smooth. The ladettes are actually better than the guys. The blokes induce laughter for their penis gags, whereas the comedy from their female counterparts is more intelligent. Pretty accurate, you might say. The younger laddish characters are hilarious from the moment Luke Stevenson walks on stage with the most flamboyant ‘Hiya!’. Simple but genius.
Godber is known for the edge on his observational comedies. Bouncers is no exception, and all comes to a climax at the end of the play. It’s unexpected to say the least, and sparks with soul and wit. It’s shows like this that exemplify why London is one of the best cities in the world for theatre, and that if you look in the right places, there really are some hidden gems out there.
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