Skip to main content

That Oh F*ck Moment at Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton

"It was when I" were four words that during the fun, uncomfortable and at times sad performance laid bare many an "oh deary me, that is slightly awkward" moment from the members of the audience. The title of the play chose a little more obvious term for it and indeed many of the stories told were very valid of an expletive or two.

During the hour long show written by Chris Thorpe and Hannah Jane Walker, we were treated to a number of these moments through history as well as randomly exposing several audience members own endevours (including mine). My own apparently was the least likely of the first four selected to have any forgiveness from. Nice. It is always bold to involve the audience in a show and I do enjoy it when it happens, especially like this one when all selected were willing to take part.

Our two performers Helen Gibb and Greg Dallas struck up immensely likable performances as they relayed the tales of woe. Some of these were hugely tragic tales including a plane crash and an incident with a hockey stick which made the chair I was sitting in become more uncomfortable by the second. It was all graphic and magnificently adult and presented in a lovely relaxed style by the two performers. There was even a little technology issue which was wonderfully in keeping with the theme of the show. Whether it should have happened or not, I do not know. However it seemed quite apt.

The two performers had also kindly given up their time and income from the show for the Actors Company bursary scheme at the Royal & Derngate. So this show with a lovely moral tale as well benefited many people in the future.

That moral? We are all human, we all make mistakes. We either except them and move on or learn well from them and keep that plane in one piece. Good fun.


Performance reviewed: Friday 29th January, 2016 (6:15pm show) at the Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton.

That Oh F*ck Moment was performed on Friday 29th January, 2016 only at the Royal & Derngate.

For further details visit the Royal & Derngate website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Frankenstein at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Over 200 years since its first publication it is remarkable to think that what is, in essence, a scientific novel such as Frankenstein is still so relevant in content today. However, as science evolves endlessly, and now with AI becoming so dominant and controversial, the difference between right and wrong, good and evil in science, and what is too inhuman is as current as ever. Tilted Wig's production, now at the end of its UK tour at Royal & Derngate and written and directed by Sean Aydon takes the original story and sets it about halfway between the first publication and modern day, around the time leading up to the Second World War. Aydon's adaptation works really well in placing the story within this degenerating world, a place where true horror is around the corner, and veiled ideas of their (Germany's) interest in Frankenstein's work are gently developed. However, while Aydon clearly had this idea in his head and his pen when scripting this version, the polit

Review of Hacktivists by Ben Ockrent performed by R&D Youth Theatre at Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton

The National Theatres Connections series of plays had been one of my highlights of my trips to R&D during 2014. Their short and snappy single act style kept them all interesting and never overstaying their welcome. So I was more than ready for my first encounter with one of this years Connections plays ahead of the main week of performances at R&D later in the year. Hacktivists is written by Ben Ockrent, whose slightly wacky but socially relevant play Breeders I had seen at St James Theatre last year. Hacktivists is less surreal, but does have a fair selection of what some people would call odd. Myself of the other hand would very much be home with them. So we are presented with thirteen nerdy "friends" who meet to hack, very much in what is termed the white hat variety. This being for good, as we join them they appear to have done very little more than hacked and created some LED light device. Crashing in to spoil the party however comes Beth (Emma-Ann Cranston)

Review of Flashdance - The Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes

For the second week running, the Milton Keynes Theatre is overrun by a wave of eighties nostalgia as Selladoor's production of Flashdance The Musical follows hot on the heels of An Officer and a Gentlemen. However, is it nice to have more of that classic decade upon the stage? The answer mostly is yes, despite the fact that the story driving Flashdance is that light and flimsy at times, you just have to sit back and watch the dancing and the bright colours to get you through. Welding genius, Alex Owens, has her sights set for a bigger thing beyond this tired and struggling factory in Pittsburgh.  Hoping to take her dancing beyond Harry's bar, she plans to make big, via Shipley Dance Academy.  Then, also drifting into her life comes Nick Hurley, who initially unknown to her, happens to be the factory bosses son, the scene is set for romance. Flashdance has a generally excellent cast led with a tremendously good performance from Joanne Clifton as Alex Owens. Those famili