There are certain productions that are almost un-reviewable, and I think The Dressing Room is probably one of them. Written by Bobby Ball it is described as part variety show, part play. However from the off it is clear that the play section is only very loosely that. We are taken to a dressing room of some hitherto unmentioned club or theatre where there is a variety bill taking place. So far so good. The compare is Billy Tents, a camp comic resplendent in a gold sequin suit played by former Crackerjack star Stu “I could crush a grape” Francis. The bill further consists of morose comedian Jimmy Laugh, portrayed by veteran clubland comic Johnnie Casson and of course Cannon & Ball.
Things get off to a rocky start with an ill rehearsed sequence
where the acts arrive and have some banter, and set up their stage personas. It’s
all a bit Generation Game, as lines
are prompted and Bobby Ball frequently comes down to the footlights to point
out yet another error in the acting. It is because of this that the world of
the hard bitten variety circuit is never fully realised. If Francis, Casson,
Cannon and Ball are going to have a laugh together on stage, that is great but
why bother constructing alternative personalities for them? The pretence is
never fully realised or justified. That is not to say there were not laughs a
plenty. When you have four very funny men on stage, it would be almost disaster
if the laughs were not coming thick and fast, which they do. But it feels the
format has been not been fully liberated, the emphasis is on ‘mucking about’
rather than character driven comedy. A stage manager (Ann Marie) makes a couple of appearances too, but feels very much like an afterthought. It is only when the three acts in question
get to perform their solo spots (which makes up the vast majority of the
evening) do we see some sparkle.
Perhaps Stu Francis has the hardest role, adopting a Graham Norton / Larry Grayson crossover. “What am I like?” is the catchphrase he throws out
between every saucy gag. Francis is a clever and talented comic, but I think
perhaps asking to be overly stereotyped is doing him an injustice. The entire
evening feels as though we are thrown back into the 1970s at the Wheeltappers
& Shunters Social Club (that’s just shown my age!). Not that it is a
criticism as such, but you have to be in that retro frame of mind to watch the
show, and given the average age of the audience that didn’t seem to be a
problem.
Johnnie Casson is a quick fire comedian, what the professor
of comedy the late Ken Dodd would call a ‘droll’. He rattles off wife and
mother-in-law gags with great aplomb. His slightly doddery demeanour hides a
sharp and quick arsenal of gags, and the audience warm to him greatly. A few of
his gags might not make TV these days, but it is all done with great panache
and the experience of a man who paid his comedy dues a long time ago.
Bobby and Tommy as The Boys In Blue
Naturally, the second half is dominated by the legends themselves
– Cannon & Ball. What can be said of this pair. 80 year old Tommy Cannon
and 74 year old Bobby Ball are not often seen on TV nowadays, but they ought
to be. They are without doubt one of the best double acts we have ever produced in
the UK. There is nothing they have not done in the business: sell out stage
shows, hit TV series and even their own feature film, 1983’s The Boys In Blue. From the moment the
pair step onto the stage, they are welcomed with a wave of love by the
audience. These are true working class heroes. They deliver their best loved
routines: ping pong and Molly Malone with a perfection that only a lifetime of
experience can bring. And in the best tradition of variety, finish off their
hilarious spot with a sentimental song. It really is a comedy masterclass. This
pair have comedy running through their bones, and are rightly national
treasures.
Despite my reservations about the format, all three acts deliver
the laughs aplenty, and on that score alone you are advised to get down to The Dressing Room if you can. In these times of increasing bad news, the show is
indeed a tonic. Rock on Tommy!
Tour details can be found at the Cannon & Ball Official Website
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