Go and see Men of the World....

I went to see an absolutely brilliant play last night at the Trinity Art Theatre in Tunbridge Wells (yes even I stray over the border sometimes!) It was The Hull Truck Theatre Company's "Men of the World" written by John Godber, about drivers from a fictitious, and very northern, coach company. It was full of typical Godber observations of the lives of northern working class folk as they endure a long coach trip to the Rhine with old folk from Yorkshire on, as one of them put it, "the crinckly run" seen through the eyes of the drivers. There are only three actors in it and very few props (mostly suit cases, hats and scarves) but they play about forty people by the use of clever switches of head gear and instantly changed facial contortions! Maybe it's because I'm a northern lad me self that I thought it was superb and laughed out embarassingly loud on several occasions throughout the two hour production. If you have ever seen Godber's most famous play, "Bouncers," you'll enjoy the gritty atmosphere, the one liners and the darkness and the sadness of it all; but also the happiness, the sense of cameraderie and the uplifting spirit underlying the play. Yes it was sort of "Bouncers" but with coach drivers doing the observing but, nevertheless, it stood out on it's own and was still fabulous. For me one of the best lines of the night is when a clapped out older character, during a spat with one of the younger drivers, says in a defiant tone: "Wallis Arnold came and told me they wanted me to work for them!" In other words his version of "I could have been a contender!" Ok not funny at all out of context so you'll have to go and see the play yourselves; and you can because it's on for the next two nights as well....