Following the move of their award-winning stand-up comedy night to a new venue, Fowl Humour have launched the theatre side of their venture with the impressive one-man play Honest, which played last week at the Ned Ludd on Friar Lane.
Written by D.C. Moore and starring Matthew Hunt, Honest is a painfully candid and realistic portrayal of contemporary culture through the eyes of our protagonist, Dave. Alone on stage with only some empty cans of Carling, and a few snacks, he beautifully rambles through the pains of modern life, taking the audience on a peregrination of his last night out with work colleagues.
The exposed nature of theatre is never more apparent than with one-man shows, as there is literally nowhere to hide and no co-stars to help you should you falter. The experimental nature of the production – with the setting in an upstairs bar room – only increased a deliciously awkward relationship between actor and audience, and Hunt deserves immense praise for what was a faultless performance. To hold an audience for any length of time requires a lot of skill and great source material (of which Hunt had both) but to hold them in such an intimate and unique setting required an incredible presence and performance, credit for which must also be shared with director Andrew Fowler.
Dave appears to be the epitome of mediocrity. He’s middle-aged, middle-England, middle-management in an average paying job, with no higher ambition than to get one over on his even more mediocre boss. With the sweeping ambition of youth long behind him, his thoughts obsess on the minutiae of everyday existence, the crescendo of which comes with his recollection of the previous night’s events. Reminiscent of Scorsese’s After Hours, he takes us step by step through what should have been a relatively simple journey home, but, with alcohol, dancing and the breakdown of work relationships, becomes a bizarre Odyssey through the streets of Nottingham.
Honest is a hugely impressive opening production from Fowl Humour, with enough humour and curiosity to warrant enormous praise for both actor Matthew Hunt and director Andrew Fowler.
Fowl Humour website
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