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Manners for Men Venue 2 – MTC Up The Alley
Manners for Men
tells the story of Frank, a repressed thirty-something Brit who still lives
with his mother. His idea of a liberating adventure is going out for a
walk and getting swept up by a crowd, and is still haunted by an
unfortunate incident in which he lost control of his bowels in public.
This may sound like an unpromising character, but, in the hands of Screwed &
Clued's Justin Sage-Passant, he isn't.
Sage-Passant is one of the best Fringe actors I have seen at creating
compelling characters. He captures Frank's nerdy voice and
cramped mannerisms perfectly, turning him into a totally believable character.
Then with just a slight change in inflection and by making his hand shake
seemingly uncontrollably, does the same for Frank's mother. Initially, as Frank begins recounting his
absurd adventures, I found the play to be very funny with
plenty of laughs generated from Frank's odd behaviour and the strange and
simplistic way he looks at things. As the play progresses and we learn
more about his life with his horrid overbearing mother, the tone of the play
changes, and I found my feelings tending more toward pity than mirth.
By the time the play reaches its bittersweet conclusion, one really doesn't
know whether to laugh or cry. The strength of Sage-Passant's performance lies in the fact that he
is able to create both of these responses in his audience with equal
intensity. This is about as fine a balance between humour and
pathos as I have seen at the Fringe. - Terry Moor UMFM |
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