Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Cast:  Pauline Fleming, Stephen Fletcher, Harry Katsari, Michael Ledwich, John McArdle, Angela Simms, Jack Taylor-Wood.

Everybody has surely dreamed of running away from it all, to hide away from all known responsibilities and start afresh somewhere new, somewhere where they can never be found and where the grass can grow under their feet in perfect isolation.  It either takes a lot of money, a lot of guts or the sheer force of will to make it happen…or you can buy a canoe, fake your own death and end up in a force ten hurricane with a picture of former Cuban President Fidel Castro looking at you with accusing stares and your children disowning you. Such is life on the open waves when you start Canoeing for Beginners.

The Royal Court over the last ten years has held some deeply impressive evenings within its seemingly deep cavernous building, some exquisite productions, some truly outstanding performances, but they will never have had one of the men who bought Paddington Bear to life directing a play there nor will they ever be able to say that one of the Liverpool greats in John McArdle never performed on the stage. In this respect alone, to find oneself drinking in the atmosphere of what is in store is only the very start.

In Mike Yeaman’s tremendous comedy Canoeing for Beginners, the farce of death is explored, the loss of trust within the family unit investigated and the corruptibility of the most noble of all shown, and it is likely to be one of the comedy highlights in Liverpool of 2015.

To watch both Stephen Fletcher, thrust into the production within a week of it opening and yet being sublime and assured, and Angela Simms, a rare talent that has been nurtured by all it seems in Liverpool but with wonderful extreme passion in Cal McCrystal’s directing, performing with comedic passion and absolute perfect timing, yet able to break the invisible fourth wall when needed is to applaud with generous and absolute conviction.

Angela Simms has risen so far in the last few years, from her knock out performances in If The Shoe Fits and Rainbow Connection, through to The Royal Court productions which have honed her superb talents, in Canoeing For Beginners all that comedic talent, the singular ability to turn the act of emotion on a sixpence, is brought front and centre and without hindrance.

For Pauline Fleming though, this play is up there with the very finest of her performances in very distinguished career. Her character, Beryl, under the covers mania and passionate control works wonderfully alongside all on stage and her presence fills the theatre at all times. From her scenes with Stephen Fletcher’s investigating detective to the startling mother/daughter relationship she has with Angela Simms, to the point of the crux of the production, Ms. Fleming is simply outrageously complete.

With the added bonus of having Michael Ledwich making a quick, and most welcome return to the Royal Court after his superb showing in Scouse of the Antarctic and John McArdle being the life and soul of the night, there was no hiding place from the running gags that were littered throughout, canoeing against the tide has never been as much fun.

Brace yourselves for the comedy crest as this production is the only life- bouy!

Ian D. Hall