REVIEW: Humble Boy
- Posted on August 5, 2007 10:14 AM
- 0 comments
Humble Boy
Upstairs At The Gatehouse
Review by Katie Spain
My Dad was attacked by a swarm of bees once. He came out of the experience looking like the Elephant Man; the stings to his face made his face swell up until his eyes were mere slits amongst the fierce red skin.
Although I cried for dad, I felt sorry for the bees – they die as soon as they sting someone, which meant a lot of little bee corpses.
Humble Boy at ‘Upstairs at the Gatehouse’ causes a similar buzz of emotions. (The puns stop there… I promise). Charlotte Jones’ play captures the emotional torment of a not-so-young man following the death of his father. It’s not all death and confusion though – Humble Boy is bittersweet comedy all the way. Director Alexander Holt skilfully brews the laughs up thick and fast – with a stellar cast serving the results up piping hot.
As we enter the small theatre, we are transported from North London to the English countryside in a matter of minutes. The set is stunning, flowers and an immaculate lawn surround a large white beehive; silent and still at centre-stage. From the moment the lights dim and the hive is illuminated, it’s obvious the wooden doors hide more than just the tale of a queen bee and her devoted troops.
The story revolves around the removal of the bees after the death of Mr Humble - the father of Felix, husband of Flora and avid beekeeper. We begin our ‘Humble journey’ at his funeral.
Ben Farrow plays the role of Felix; a troubled thirty year old genius in the making. His anguish, confusion and nervous stutter are c-c-c-convincing. Farrow piled on sixteen pounds for the role – now there’s devotion. It’s hard not to pity the theoretical astrophysicist Felix – the urge to run up and hug the poor sod is a strong one. Some scenes are laugh out loud funny… others bring a tear to the eye. The incessant buzzing in Felix’s head is a powerful insight into the oppressive nature of mental health problems.
Gay Soper’s portrayal of the self-centred perfectionist Flora deserves a special mention. Gay takes all the annoying qualities of the kept women of the world and bundles them into one tight, endearing, lip-pursing package. You wouldn’t want to live with her but boy is she a shining delight to observe.
Flora’s new love George (Harry Meacher) is loud, proud and ebbs on the overbearingly vocal side. I’m convinced enough by his performance to hope my mother never ‘nets’ the same breed. Throughout the play, Felix battles with the return of his ex-girlfriend Rosie (a sweet and sexy Susie Harriet) and Mercy (Anny Tobin) runs about like a devoted puppy that never quite gets the bone. Anny’s performance slices through the play like a finely sharpened knife. Her wit cuts when you least expect it, and when it does, is pure comedy pleasure.
Meanwhile, Jim the gardener (John Harwood) watches on from the sidelines; a calm soul amidst the storm. Did you get all that? Don’t worry, you will.
The entire cast have the chemistry of a bee hive… each bee working in unison with one another – devoted to the honey-smooth delivery of Jones’ play. The queen (and king) bees should be proud. Their faultless performances are more the impressive within the sauna of a venue. We are passed cold towels in the interval… but the second half still feels long. Fear not however, the British weather meant we had a freakishly hot evening. I doubt you’ll stumble upon the same.
If you live North of London, make a night of it and head to Highgate. If you’re not, head there anyway. The walk from Highgate Tube station is a lovely one and nothing beats a summer evening in the ‘garden’. There are a million buzzing bee puns I could whip out at this point – but honey, I just won’t go there. See it – you’ll come out smiling.
HUMBLE BOY
1st August - 2nd September
Tue - Sat at 8.00pm
Sun at 4.00pm
Upstairs at the Gatehouse
The Gatehouse Pub
Highgate Village,
London N6 4BD
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