One Man, Two Guv'nors

We took the children to the theatre last night.

We went to see the touring production of ‘One Man Two Guv’nors’ which is currently on at The Curve in Leicester.

I try to take the children to the theatre around Christmas time as one of their treats.  They go to pantomimes with school, so it doesn’t matter if I pick something a little more out there, which is good, because this year’s panto selection is pretty diabolical.

I say a firm and resounding no to anything with Frank Bruno, Australian soap actresses and/or Bobby Davro in.

Or midgets.

Not that I have anything against them. I just find them troubling whilst ranged about the body of Bonnie Langford and a Shetland pony wearing plumes.

My nerves cannot stand it.  Although you will be interested to know that the cat is on a different sort of cat valium, so supplies are GO in this neck of the woods again.

I might need them actually, despite avoiding celebrifest panto based entertainment, as Mrs. Jones informs me that the last series of The Killing starts in a fortnight. I must limber up my Danish skilz, jaw clenching and ability to peer at things in the gathering murk of a Scandinavian winter.

Last year we took the girls to see ‘Noises Off’ at The Old Vic in London. This year we decided to take Oscar for his first trip, so we needed somewhere a little closer to home.  ’One Man Two Guv’nors’ fit the bill perfectly.

Jason came.  He usually avoids the theatre like the plague. He hates it, as you know. I needed someone as my wing man this year, in case Oscar disgraced himself and had to be dragged kicking and screaming from the auditorium.  Jason was it.

And my mum and dad and brother came as well.

Not because we thought Jason needed added help if Oscar went postal, but because we thought a trip for the whole family would be lovely.

And it was.

The only thing that made Jason happy about going with us last night was the fact that it was Halloween and he had a legitimate reason not to open the door to all the trick or treaters, because he wouldn’t be there.

There is a scale of hatred, and trick or treaters come much, much higher up than theatrical productions it seems.

Which is nice to know, and means that if I want him to see something next year I shall mark Halloween down as a prime date on the calendar.

Despite himself, he thoroughly enjoyed the play, as did everyone else. I had seen it before when it was on in London, so I knew it was going to be good. My only concern was whether the new cast could live up to the wonders of the old one.

They didn’t.  But they did a bloody good job nonetheless and it was not a disappointment.  Rufus Hound played the lead character (previously played by James Corden), and he did a pretty good job of being faithful to the spirit of Corden’s performance, but still making it his own.

Sound levels were a little ropey at times, which hopefully the technicians will sort out over the next few days, and it didn’t help that the woman behind us laughed excessively, and like a seal with whooping cough.

Nevertheless we had an excellent time, and Jason is even tentatively mulling over coming to see The Lady Killers with us when it comes on tour in the next few weeks.

Result.

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