Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Review: Bristol Hippodrome

The Bristol Hippodrome
Tuesday 6^th – Saturday 10^th October 2015

THE PERFORMANCE

AGE SUITABILITY

If you were to cut out the odd scene here and there, the show could be quite family friendly, but there are sections which are majorly inappropriate for children. A few maids in skimpy outfits, showing more of their bottoms than is usual in polite company, is the least of my worries! The scene where Freddy poses as Lawrence’s repulsive brother Ruprecht includes references to KY Jelly and features Freddy eating one of their pet fish. The language is gratuitously vulgar in places, there are lots of sexual references and the boys don’t find the story easy to follow until I clarify it during the interval.

I’d say it’s considerably too old for my eleven year old to get completely and I don’t think I’d want to take him back until he’s at least thirteen, or maybe even  a little older.

THE VERDICT

Despite my reservations about age appropriateness, the boys enjoy it, although I’m not certain why. They find the con-artist storyline difficult to follow and there are no tricks, gimmicks or acrobatics to wow them. What I think makes it for them is the humour, particularly the scenes featuring the character I knew would be their favourite, Freddy. Sullivan excels in this fun role with his strong singing, coupled with the ability to slide easily and convincingly into several varied character roles.

Carley Stenson delivers a wonderful performance in her role as the elegant, beautiful, clever Christine Colgate. Praed is convincing as the successful, vain con artist and Phoebe Coupe plays the part of his irritating ‘fiancee’ Jolene Oakes beautifully annoyingly.

In a sideshow to the main story, Gary Wilmot and Geraldine Fitzgerald make a commanding double act with a nod to charming musical theatre comedy of a bygone era.

Christine and Freddy’s comic scenes are a highlight for our group and are also those appreciated most by pretty much the whole audience, it seems. There’s a distinct pause in the action during one scene, when raucous audience laughter infects the stage and poor Noel and Carly have to visibly stifle their own giggles before managing to go on to deliver their next lines.

I have mixed feelings about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical. I haven’t seen the show before and I’m not familiar with the storyline so I’m taking what I see at face value, but it seems a strange choice to transport from screen to stage. To be honest, I found parts of it quite tedious, but then there are good bits which were well worth waiting for. The storyline is quite clever and not overly predictable with humour which builds over time, culminating in moments of laughing out loud.

I leave the theatre on a high.

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

Jesus Christ Superstar

Oklahoma

The Sound of Music

Love Me Tender

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man

Lord of the Dance – Dangerous Games

Producers

Hansel and Gretel

Wicked

War Horse

Dick Whittington

William Tell

Carmen

Coppelia