Aptly for a piece of theatre seen in a room above the bar at the Alma Tavern, this play is set in a pub; although it’s not the type of pub you see so much of these days in Bristol. This pub has more of a northern, working class feel to it and the two main characters, the landlord and landlady could have been lifted from the pages of a Coronation Street script. As well as the two publicans the play, written by Jim Cartwright in the late 80s, presents us with a series of folk who might be found in this kind of hostelry: the failing Romeo, the mutually dependent, overweight couple and the lonesome old man to name but a few.
All the parts are played by the talented pair of actors Anna Friend and Steve Cowley, and the action takes place over one evening. Right from opening time the pub’s hostess and host are at each other’s throats; they bicker behind the bar, they nag and criticise each other, all the while gossiping about their clientele. He ‘likes to have a crack with the customers’ while she winces at his childish jokes and claims to be ‘the brains of the operation’. They don’t seem the happiest of couples and at the end of the play we realise why.
Meanwhile the stream of regulars drifts in and out of the pub allowing us a fleeting glimpse into each of their lives. As they sup their beverages we laugh at the pathetic womaniser, we empathise with the old lady who rewards herself with a drink after her daily routine of caring for a disabled husband, and we feel for the mistress who searches for the courage to confront her lover’s wife.
The actors bring the characters to life with gusto. They fill each of the vignettes and monologues with pathos and humour and although they overplay some of the comic roles they make an excellent pair of publicans; the pair have obviously worked hard in rehearsals and have a genuine chemistry. Steve Crowley brings a shocking sense of menace to the role of the bullying boyfriend while Anna Friend wrings out our pity as his meek girlfriend. The whole thing is moved slickly along by Anna’s adroit directing.
The piece is produced by Schoolhouse Productions: the new creative branch at the Alma Theatre. The company has been formed by the Alma’s Theatre Manager Holly Newton with Anna Friend from Quirky Birds as the resident director. The play has a slightly old fashioned feel to it (when did you last hear a shout for ‘last orders’?) but the team at the Alma Theatre have managed to produce a lively and entertaining version of this drama-school favourite. An amusing and diverting evening; it’s just what good pub-theatre should be. ★★★☆☆ Adrian Mantle 14th September 2016
