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REVIEW: Dealer’s Choice@88 London Road

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Patrick Marber’s play is a jaundiced look at masculinity and shows how men fail at being fathers, sons and friends. During one night of poker the game itself becomes a kind of weapon which the play’s characters use to goad, taunt and humiliate each other. But the portraits presented, though far from flattering, have a good deal of subtlety and depth: occasionally one of the six anti-heroes will wrong-foot the audience by some small display of sympathy or even kindness.

Carl (Griffin Stevens) has an uneasy relationship with his restaurateur father Stephen (Neil Roberts) who taught him poker but now sees his son as an abject failure with a gambling problem. Sweeney (Ben Crowe), Frankie (Samuel Clemens) and Mugsy (Matthew Zilch) all work for Stephen and the already fraught employer-employee relationship is complicated by their weekly all-night poker evenings. The arrival of a sullen, almost menacing, customer Ash (David Keyes) leads to revelations which could see father and son pushed even further apart.

Though it might not sound it from the above description, Dealer’s Choice is a comedy. It might be harsh, and even unpleasant, but it is very funny. Naturally, in this testosterone-charged environment the go-to choice of insult is the one that emasculates. Typically this is done by caustic observations delivered in a lisping voice or referring to each other as a ‘girl’ or ‘little madam’ – and there is the traditional act of simulated buggery without which no critique of masculinity is complete.

The play boasts some truly excellent performances. Zilch is great as the almost-lovable dimwit who, despite the company he keeps, seems to maintain an almost childlike innocence. Roberts has a louche charm, and his portrayal seems balanced on a knife-edge between the paternal and the reptilian. Crowe is excellent as the Everyman – or perhaps Everygeezer – who would be a very good father if, after finally winning access to his daughter, he didn’t gamble away the money he needed to take her on a day out.

Continues until April 16 at 88 London Road.

For more details and tickets click here.

Local theatre producers launch new website

Anscombe Production Associates (APA) are one of the City’s most concise one stop production houses.

Tim Anscombe and Stephen Holroyd
Tim Anscombe and Stephen Holroyd

They cover theatre and event production from concept to performance with ‘skill and amassed knowledge on every aspect of creative and operational management’.

Director Tim Anscombe, said: “Thats not easy to put into a website without it becoming fractional, but with the help of team Besi and APA, we believe we have covered our service.”

Stephen Holroyd, added: “Our belief in the quality of Brighton & Hove’s local art houses and media support was paramount in our quest so went to one of the best web designers in the city.

“Besi at http://www.besi-design.com took us through the process painlessly and it was great to know that whatever direction we took, Besi was there to advise.”

“If you need an established production house or you are short of even the smallest part of your production needs, give us the details and let us help you create.”

Recent APA productions include DIAMOND starring Dave Lynn, the story of East Ender Harry Young who in the 1920s dressed as a woman when homosexuality was illegal, and in doing so give birth to an East End legend and Peter Nichol’s comedy PRIVATES ON PARADE starring Miss Jason which charts the story of a concert party in the Jungle of Malaya, and played at the Theatre Royal in August, 2013.

For more information, click here: 

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