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Dead Funny
- Tour.
Playwright - Terry Johnson
Director - Brian Pettifer.
Designer - Geoff Rose.
Lighting Designer - Simon Wilkinson.
Company -
Borderline Theatre Company .
Cast - here .
2003 Tour Dates and Times - here .
Seen to review at Dundee Rep at 10 Feb 2004.
Run Time - 2hours 15 mins including 15 mins interval.
Reviewer - Thelma Good.
Effortless laughter from not so easy things.
Dead Funny - Borderline Theatre.
Brian - Steven McNicol and Nick - Barrie Hunter.
© Peter Sandground 2004
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There were a lot more than titters released in Dundee Rep when I saw
this Scottified version of Terry Johnson's Dead Funny. Belly laughs and
great delight ripped out of a packed audience who came to enjoy - they
were definitely gagging for it. Director Brian Pettifer, no stranger to
comic turns himself, has assembled a cast who go for the laughs without
losing the pain.
Impotence, sex therapy and long term possibly dangerous secrets, ingredients
for a grim tragedy surely? Not in Dead Funny, coupling those with many
other things you can take more than one way, add more hilarity than tears,
all topped off with tributes to Britain's comic masters. The first act
is a ride on a switchback as the play veers between ha-ha and oh how could
he do that......, but Johnson and Pettifer know how to make the mix work.
Gynecologist gone-off-it-recently Richard and longing-for-it-and-a-baby
Ellie, Rod Matthews and Annette Staines, are in the middle
of an hour to explore their bodies. A call to say Benny Hill's died and
neighbour Brian, Steven McNicol coming to check Richard has heard
interrupts them. The men are both members of the Dead Funny Society as
is Richard's long term pal Nick, Barrie Hunter, and his wife Lisa,
Gail Watson. Apart from non member Ellie, they've all long delighted
in inserting innuendo and the comic geniuses' patter and routines whenever
they can. Ellie's no longer the straight one, she's become the glum one
to their cheeky chappies and chappess.
In between the gradual disclosures and revealings of the individual pain
behind their diversionary tactics we get sparkling performances of "Will
you miss me tonight", Max Millar, Frankie, Ooow-Aarrr-missus Howard
and more of Britain's dead comic masters. Revealing an uncanny resemblance
to Hill Steven McNicol, a guy who creates much of the effortless
laughter, also delights as the gentle Brian who's learning to live without
his mother. Supporting this comic gem of a Scot are Watson's Lisa,
Matthews' Richard and Hunter's Nick, all give life to those
characters, as well as Eric and Ern, Sid and Hancock, while making entertainment
deeply funny. Staines keeps the sharp tension of Ellie the outsider
and delivers one of best and most unPC gag of the night.
The first act lays down not only the nudge, nudge, wink, wink but more
delicately places into the path of the comedy the eggshells of the characters'
various difficulties. Johnson knows we humans love to laugh at other peoples'
painful situations - it allows us to laugh at, and live with our own.
The second half, when they gather to celebrate Benny Hill's life, sets
off and becomes a considerable romp, with ghastly disclosures and embarrassing
moments. And there's slap stick as well as slap and tickle, where the
very real looking custard pies Brian brings round come in handy.
© Thelma Good 10 February 2004. - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Borderline will begin their 30th Anniversary year by touring a new romantic
comedy, Good Things* from Scotland's well renowned playwright Liz Lochhead
from 16 Sept to 18 Oct 2004.
Cast: Richard - Rod Matthews, Ellie - Annette
Staines, Brian - Steven McNicol, Lisa - Gail Watson and Nick - Barrie
Hunter.
Video's voice overs - Miriam - Juliet Cadzow, Man - George Brennan and
Woman - Fletcher Mathers.
2004 Tour Details of Borderline Theatre's production
of Dead Funny .
Tour begins
5 (Preview) 6 &
7 Feb at 8pm St. Andrews Byre Theatre 01334 475000.
10 - 14 Feb at 7.45pm also Sat Mat at 2.30pm Dundee Rep 01382 223530.
17 Feb at 8pm Livingston Howden Park Centre 01506 433634.
19 & 20 Feb at 8pm Inverness Eden Court Theatre 01463 234234.
26 -28 Feb at 8pm Glasgow Tron Theatre 0141 552 4267.
2 March at 7.30pm Dunfermline Carnegie Hall 01383 314000.
3 & Thurs 4 March at 7.45pm Cumbernauld Theatre 01236 732 887.
5 March at 7.30pm Musselburgh Brunton Theatre 0131 665 2240.
6 March at 7.45pm Cumnock Town Hall 01563 554900.
8 March at 7.30pm Peebles Eastgate Arts Centre 01721 722 991.
10 March at 7.30pm Ayr Gaiety Theatre 01292 611222.
11 March at 7.30pm Falkirk Town Hall Tkts from Steeple BO 01324
506850.
12 March at 7.30pm Greenock Arts Guild Theatre 01475 723038.
13 March at 8pm Stirling Macrobert 01786 466 666.
End of Tour.
Theatre Editor, Thelma Good's e-mail is
thelma@edinburghguide.com
Although every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented in these pages, no responsibility can be accepted
for any errors or omissions.
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