LORDS OF STRUT till 30 11 12

Dublin
LORDS OF STRUT “SELL OUT TOUR”

Smock Alley Theatre, 7 Lower Exchange Street, County Dublin. To Saturday 10 Nov and Irish tour until 30 Nov.
9.30 pm. Runs 65 mins, no interval.
Tickets: 00 3531 6770014 www.smockalley.com // www.lordsofstrut.com/

Review: Michael Paye 6 November 2012.

Impressive acrobatics, appalling singing, but that’s okay.

Making it big in the local parish is one thing; becoming world famous is a totally different story. And brothers Famous Seamus and Seantastic have what it takes (apparently) to achieve their lofty dream of becoming the greatest performers in the world. We are treated in this one hour show to a barrage of gags, impressive acrobatics and hits from the ‘90s which come together to form an entertaining night of performance.

The piece owes a lot to Father Ted, as clear from Sean’s generally Dougal-esque expressions (facial and otherwise). The ridiculous cheesy grins, costumes and general madness mark a comedy coming right out of Jedward and Blades of Glory. Indeed, in-between dancing, DJ routines and terrific acrobatic stunts, the brother’s ply the audience with “man-products” guaranteed to bring out your inner roar and masculine beauty.

Sometimes the comedy is not as funny as it could be, as it is very much taken from the school of Will Ferrell, and the gags often feel well-worn. However, the strong belief in audience interaction makes this an engaging piece of work, and some of the acrobatics are truly extraordinary.

What makes this performance different and, in many ways relevant, is the fact that it does in fact address contemporary Ireland. These young men may be parodies, but they are clearly recognisable doubles of young Irish on a night out, when American slapstick and Father Ted often become tantamount to the social experience, along with a high level of homo-eroticism and, occasionally, nudity. If you find yourself tempted to judge it as self-indulgent, parodic, and a rip-off of comedy which has come before, then you are absolutely correct in your estimation!

This show is a lot of fun, but it is probably geared more towards the aforementioned Will Ferrell supporters of this world, and even they may feel it borders too close to the original. The self-titled “hardest working man-band in Ireland” give a good show overall and there is definitely a market for these guys out there. Forget pre-theatre dinners; this is pre-clubbing theatre!

Famous Seamus: Cormac Mohally.
Seantastic: Cian Kinsella.

2012-11-11 12:19:57