****
Theatre 2009
Geoff
Lucky Dip
What
happens when two saddo losers, who are desperate to become winners, come
head to head? Surely something is gonna have to give! This is the story
that is told in this three handed funny play staged as one of their four
offerings by StoppedClock Theatre Company.
Late
night deejay Vince, David Beck, purveyor of all types of media, phone-in
with prize shows being to the fore, sets the scene with a phone call form
the hapless Doug, played by Neil Frost. The story of this professional
competition winner, who is a zero with women and how his life changed the
day he met, and competed, against Fran, Catherine Morris, a fellow winning
addict with not much else in her life, whilst trying to out last each
other by sitting in a bath non-stop. The prize? £10,000, but is there
more at stake?
The
play is well written, tells a nice non-challenging story and the piece is
well directed. The empathy one feels for these two is initially grudging,
or at least it was on my part, but well before the hour was up I found
myself really rooting for them.
Both
Frost and Ms Morris brought warmth to their roles and the character
development progressed at the right pace, while Beck as DJ Vince,
fulfilled his remit admirably.
I
found this play an excellent way to spend an hour in the early Fringe
afternoon and it was the impression I got was that I am not alone in this
feeling judging by audience reaction while leaving.
So
who wins? Doug or Fran? To find out go check it out for yourself, and then
the real winner will be you!!
****