Dirty Old Town

Mikyla Jane Durkan covers a lot of ground in her one woman show Dirty Old Town. With only sketch-show esque props she is alone on the stage at Hope Street Theatre yet has her audience chuckling along with ease. Written and performed by Durkan, she plays Marigold lately in a series of sketches ranging from the side-splitting, to a little random with some unexpected curveballs throughout. Durkan is an immediately welcoming presence who you find yourself wanting to hear from, despite the sometimes meandering skits and for the most part, keeps you thoroughly entertained for her 50 minute show.

The comedy comes naturally to Durkan, as she performs with fluidity and confidence even as minor technical issues arise. From lamenting age and how old she really feels as middle-aged Lately, to a quick algebra lesson, Durkan tries her hand at it all. Some punchlines flop but others are well-delivered and have the audience in stitches. The stronger moments of her performance shine while the weaker ones feel a little lost on stage. As with any good comic, there is audience participation and with Durkan, it is very well done. Taking a little time to warm up the audience are fully involved by the end and for the most part enjoy themselves. Dark comedy comes to the fore in several sketches, at times pitch-perfect and at others a little too far over the line. There are a handful of awkward moments where the audience aren’t sure whether to laugh, but they are quickly rescued by a scene change or quip from Durkan. Subtle changes in lighting and prop use are effective and allow the audience to focus on Durkan.

Several character pieces are well performed and as always, referencing class and politics in Liverpool goes down a treat. When in her element she commands the stage, but sometimes disjointed, some sketches are left feeling clunky. A very impressive one-woman show, Durkan brings dark comedy to her satire and plays on Scouse tropes and local references to chortling audiences.

Out the Woodwork

What would you do if a Facebook friend won the lottery? Haven’t seen them in a decade- isn’t that the beauty of social media? Out the Woodwork is a non-stop, laugh-a-minute, soap-esque comedy that finds Pat (Sam Richardson) winning the lottery and at the mercy of a whole host of friends, not-friends and family members. Written by Lee Clotworthy and performed at the Hope St Theatre, Out the Woodwork is a testimony to farcical comedy anywhere.

Settling into a comfy set mirroring Pat’s front room, best friends Lyndsay (Geraldine Moloney Judge) and Pat are interrupted throughout the X-Factor 2013 Final as Pat opens up about her adulterous husband and her subsequent divorce. After some hilarious moments, an attempt to add depth to the conversation feels a little lost but is quickly rescued by the plot moving on. Playing Pat’s daughter, Kate, Eve Bowles takes her role of centre-of-the- universe-spoilt-brat to the next level. She howls the house down, talking a mile-a-minute and is in great contrast to her slouching good-for-nothing boyfriend Kieran (Francis Brack). Plot twists litter the 50 minute performance as the audience are greeted with the real victim, ‘typical’ man Ste (Mike Newstead, Pat’s husband), effortlessly entertaining in his denial and the renegade Kieran. Each are compelling in their own right leaving the audience laughing along.

Whilst quick-witted, the script lags in places, leaving some scenes lacking punch and slowing the pace. But, credit where it is due, Clotworthy knows how to write a Scouse stereotype and his cast know how to milk them for all their worth. Combined it makes for a rollicking, wonderfully farcical comedy taking on the power of social media and money in relationships. Without a doubt you’ll want the show to be longer and you’ll probably recognise a few of the characters from your own neck of the woods…

Words By, Hannah Goldswain