The Games

Unity Theatre, Liverpool
October 22 & 23

Director: Mark Smith & Toby Park
Producer: Spike Theatre
Cast: Liam Tobin, Lauren Silver, Jamie Wood

Running Time: 1 hr 15 mins
 

From first to last, Spike Theatre’s The Games is fast, frenetic and highly enjoyable.

Three athletes - with aspirations of greatness - are poised to compete at the largest sporting event in the ancient world, ‘The Games’. They are under-funded, under-prepared and completely out of their depth as they take on the heroes of ancient Greece.

Although everything on show may – in one way or another – be rooted in fact, there is little than can be said to be factual as Tobin, Silver  and Andrews all give performances that are innovative and quirky and so bring out the full scale of the limited props on offer.

Jamie Wood playing the truly awful poet Stanzus – who is somehow put down for the wrestling – makes a superb parody of seriousness and displays a fine line in clowning. Lauren Silver as Hermaphrodite is a steady “fall-guy” for the jokes being played on her character, whilst skilfully illustrating her own talents with some carefully crafted asides of her own. Liam Tobin, who sets the whole thing rolling, really comes into his own as Charioteer Darius and underlines beautifully that a combination of energy, enthusiasm and ability can lead to great things.

The timing of the piece is just right and helps make The Games an entertaining evening that ticks all the right comedic boxes.

Chris High

Further dates in 2010 and 2011 to be announced.

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