CityLife

Absolutely Frank

MOST famous currently for his hit comedy Calendar Girls, local lad Tim Firth has been penning stage scripts for a couple of decades now and this particular piece was one of his first, written when he was asked to produce a short lunchtime show for Alan Ayckbourn’s theatre in Scarborough.

It was a success in its own write but Firth has recently extended it into a full evening’s entertainment by adding a second act and – in this handsomely-mounted Coliseum production – turning it into an amusing night out.

Frank is a 57-year-old electrician and industrial sign engineer who has aspirations to be a writer of thrillers. We join him as he is erecting giant display lettering on an office block roof.

Up there with him is Alan, a work experience teenage hoodie plugged into his MP3, who would rather be rehearsing with a rock band than clinging to the sides of buildings.

The first half takes place 60 feet above ground, on a top floor ledge and the ingeniously-designed set springs a scenic surprise at the end of the act when the sign is revealed in all its glory.

Re-training

The more recently written second half moves things on, taking place some considerable time later and finding Frank now re-training as a salesperson and turning up for an interview with, well, I’m sure you can guess.

It’s a witty odd couple comedy with plenty of wry observations, all topped off with a visual gag that’s even better than the one that closed the first half. The writing however is patchy in places and although the basic ideas are novel and intriguing, I wanted to laugh more than I did.

Director Noreen Kershaw keeps up the pace but hasn’t made some of action quite as clear as it needs to be and there are more laughs to be gained when she does.

Geoffrey Hughes (The Royale Family, Heartbeat) is Frank, and young and increasingly sought-after, City College Manchester-trained Des O’Malley, is Alan. They’re a good team already but will no doubt relax into it more as the run progresses.

Designer Rodney Ford is the other star of the show, providing two hugely impressive and complex settings of rooftop and office that add greatly to the fun.

Absolutely Frank is at the Oldham Coliseum until Saturday, February 21. £5 - £18. Call 0161 624 2829.
 

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