Review: A night out with Bouncers (From Bucks Free Press)

Review: A night out with Bouncers

9:47am Wednesday 17th October 2012 in Freetime By Rebecca Cain

ON the one hand Bouncers made me want to get my glad rags on and go on a night out with my friends, on the other it made me never want to drink again.

The show is very funny but also has a strong moral message throughout.

Rihanna's voice came booming across the empty stage at the Wycombe Swan last night to start the John Godber play.

It was written in the 80s but has been rejigged for today's stage and is packed with songs from today's chart.

The show has four stars, Ace Bhatti, Don Gilet, William Ilkley and Ian Reddington, who are on stage throughout and all play three different roles.

They are the bouncers of the club, Asylum, but also a group of women and a group of men.

There are no props and the stage is a blank canvas. It leaves a lot of work to the actors but they pull it off with ease.

It focuses on a night out and how the men and women act before, during and after, and what the bouncers see and cope with. It is very funny in parts and had the audience in stitches.

One particular moment is when the men are going to the toilet and are lined up in front of the urinals...

Another is when Suzie (Ace Bhatti) and one of the men (Ian Reddington) get together in the nightclub. It was very surreal to watch the two men dancing side to side.

This play is also a snapshot of part of Britain's culture of going out and getting so drunk.

Lucky Eric, played by Ian Reddington, gives four speeches throughout as a comment on that culture. Some of it was quite hard hitting and left a hush over the theatre.

It is a very different play and although it sometimes felt slightly outdated in some parts it is still very relevant today.

The actors were all brilliant in their parts and really made the show a success.

Bouncers is at the Wycombe Swan until Saturday, October 20 at 7.30pm tonight, 8pm Thu to Sat and a Sat show at 4pm. Tickets range from £17.50-£24.50 from 01494 512000 or go to www.wycombeswan.co.uk