Crazy Gary's Mobile Disco (2007)
by Gary Owen
Directed by Jack King
Performances: Wed 18th – Sat 21st April 2007, Prompt Corner
Contents
Introduction
Crazy Gary's Mobile Disco is a hard hitting story of life in smalltown Wales told in the form of three forty-five minute monologues.
Booty Call is the eponymous Gary's story. He is an aggressive bully who uses physical violence and intimidation to achieve his own ends. He is none-the-less deeply scarred by events in his past.
A Righteous Brother is the tale of Matthew D Melody, a man so traumatised that he has retreated into a fantasy world, unable to deal with life's realities.
Don't Die Just Yet is Russell's story. Seemingly trapped in his humdrum life Russell constantly attempts to escape but circumstances and his own deeply rooted paranoia seem to thwart his every move.
As each monologue progresses it soon becomes apparant that the lives of each of the three characters are all deeply entwined as the events of one night move to their inevitably violent conclusion.
Cast
- Gary - Charles Doyle
- Matthew D Melodie - Ward Trowman
- Russell Markham - Simon Holland
Crew
- Assitant Director - Lee Ridgeway
- Stage Manager - Mark Ireson
- Lighting Design - Mike Elliott
- Sound Design - Andrew Rickinson
- Lighting/Sound Operator - Jenny Harris
- Lighting/Sound Operator - Rachael Lovegrove
- Theatre Representative - Helen Chadney
- Photography - Phil Gammon
- Publicity - Dee Fancett
- Poster - Maria Bates
Special thanks to Jenny Gammon and the cast and crew of The Little Foxes (2007), Maria Bates and the cast and crew of Dr Faustus (2007), Katie Franson and Anton Krause.
Reviews
I came out of the preview yesterday feeling disturbed to a degree which I can't remember feeling with any other SLT show. This is a very special piece of theatre, and it will do odd things to your mind. Jack has unearthed a slow-burning gem of a play from undeserved obscurity, and triumphantly brought it to life. It's a lyrical piece which is at different times hugely funny, utterly revolting and heartbreaking. And Jack's cast really do him proud. Chaz gives a masterful and horribly convincing performance as the monstrous (and hilarious) smalltown Welsh thug, and Ward and Simon are no less convincing and compelling with their bizarre and contrasting narrators and tales. I don't want to say too much more for fear of spoiling the wonderful/awful surprises which unfold, as you struggle to connect the characters and their three very different stories. But really this is a first rate and beautifully performed and presented piece of theatre and I hope Jack, cast and crew get the full-to-capacity houses they richly deserve over the next four evenings
Like others I'm not going to write loads, because I don't want to ruin all the twists and interesting plot bits, but I just wanted to say WOW! I absolutely loved this, I know that since I ran off to uni I haven't been all that great at coming down to see shows, but heck am I glad I saw this one. The acting was amazing all the way through and I was completey absorbed, and as people may know, I'm a bit of a fidget, but I found that there was no time for fidgeting though, I simply didn't have the chance to get bored or daydream. I dragged two friends along with me to see it as well, one of whom has never really been into theatre and needed a lot of persuading, but suddenly he wants to become a member because he enjoyed it so much!
So thanks guys for a great evening, and a huge well done
Wow
What a fantastic night. That has to be the best three performances I've seen anywhere in a very long time. Chas put in a bravura performance as the bully - frightening, moving, riveting. His posture and body control was wonderful to watch - a very assured and tight performance.
Loved Wade (Sic) as the karaoke king. Very funny - especially the snap from the American chat at the beginning into his real character.
And Simon was sublime as the nerdy bloke at the end, caught in life's headlights and unable to move.
The script is really clever - and I agree with a lot of the comments on the board that I wished I'd seen it more than once. Perhaps it was a little neat the way it all tied up - but it was riveting nonetheless.
The most impressive feat of the evening was the way the actors switched from character to character, becoming the various people they were talking about. It showed a fine range - multiple accents, personalities and physicalities. You were never in any doubt that you were watching three actors at the top of their game.
Therein lies - for me - a very small rub.
When we're first presented with the bully, it was amazing - full of energy, anger, and booze-fuelled swagger. But the minute he 'became' the girl he was chatting up - so convincingly! - I stopped fully believing in him as the brainless thug. I still enjoyed the performance, and the story telling - but from then on it was actors telling the story for me.
That also served as a foil for the incredibly poetic writing - full of Welsh lyricism, the characters are not only terrified human beings stuck in an awful situation, but fully fledged poets who speak in a language rich with metaphor, simile, imagery... Is that a problem? Dunno.
I think I would like to see have seen the actors sticking to the reporting of events as themselves, rather than acting it all out. I think that would have been more real and far more moving. Perhaps some of the dramatic lighting changes added to the feeling that we were watching a theatrical performance?
Maybe that's just me - and perhaps I am being picky. LOL.
But at the end of the day it doesn't detract from the fact that the three boys put in three of the best performances I have seen at SLT or beyond in a very long time.
I'm glad I managed to see it - and wish I could see it again.
Gallery
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.
See Also
Have there been other SLT productions of this play? Link to them here.
Or add anything that is related within this site. The author's page for instance or other plays with a similar theme.
