Regal Entertainments bring St. Helens Theatre Royal another of their critically acclaimed productions this June when a refreshed and revived version of Bouncers; the hilarious international hit comedy by John Godber takes to the stage. Bouncers: The Remix is set in the present day and will transport audiences into that famous Pontefract nightclub Mr Cinders and a tale of high hopes, dented dreams and late-night kebabs with from Wednesday 26th to Sunday 30th June.
Directed by Sylvie Gatrill (The Salon, The Ciggie Run, Rita, Sue and Bob Too) this fantastic production is brought to life by a multitalented cast which includes Simon O’Brien (Brookside) as Les, John F Doull (The Good Cop) as Lucky Eric, Neville Cann as Ralph and Theatre Royal Workshop trained and St. Helens’ very own Benjamin Engelen as Judd.
Bouncers follows the misadventures of four doormen who are preparing for another night working the doors of Mr Cinders, a Pontefract nightclub. Meanwhile Suzie and the girls are out on the town, as are Kev and his mates who are always on the pull. Hilarity and madness ensue while the bouncers welcome the audience into the nightclub and do what they’re paid to do.
‘Chockfull of slamming shots, cheeky behaviour and raw energy, this award- winning and hilarious show is the mastermind of John Godber, whose work is performed across the globe giving him the distinction of being one of the most performed writers in the English language. He has won numerous awards for his plays including an Olivier award and seven Los Angeles Critics Circle Awards. His plays include: Bouncers, Up ‘n’ Under, September In The Rain, Salt Of The Earth, Passion Killers, Going Dutch, Christmas Crackers and most recently Crown Prince. Within his extensive career in writing and directing in TV and Film, John also devised the B.B.C.2 series Chalkface and his screenplay My Kingdom For A Horse starring Sean Bean was nominated for an alternative B.A.F.T.A. award. John’s first feature film Up ‘n’ Under was released in January 1998. In 2005, he co-wrote Odd Squad for B.B.C. 2, with his wife Jane, which was shot in Hull using local actors. Odd Squad won two British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards in the Schools’ Drama category and in the B.A.F.T.A. original writer section.
Chantelle Nolan, Theatre Manager said, “I’ve wanted to bring John Godber’s most popular play to the Theatre Royal for some time now and this summer seems like the perfect time to do it! With Sylvie once again at the helm, a laugh a minute script and with an extraordinary talented cast lined up, there is no doubt that this is going to become a firm favourite with Theatre Royal audiences and the highlight of our summer season.”
Sylvie Gatrill, Director said, “I am thrilled to be back on board with another Theatre Royal production with my long time colleagues Jane Joseph and Chantelle Nolan. I am truly ecstatic to be bringing Godber’s masterpiece to life with such a stellar cast and crew; not least because this is the first chance to once again work with Simon since playing his Mum in ITV’s much loved drama ‘Heartbeat’ The auditions were a gruelling process and from the 1500 people that auditioned I feel we got not only the best four individual performers but the best combined talent. The chemistry between the four actors is just magical and I can’t wait to get started!”
Tickets for Bouncers are available in person from the Theatre Royal Box office, by telephone on 01744 756000 or online at www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com. Tickets are priced at £15 with concessions available at £12. The Saturday matinee all seats are priced at £7.