Tuesday 29 March 2016

Prom (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

A comedy about the awkwardness and cruelty of youth.

Four old friends recount, and re-enact, the story of their end of school Prom dance and how it changed their lives.  None are ever named, and nor is "the most beautiful boy in the world" who they all obsess over.  (Although there is a goat called John Wayne who has a crucial role in the tale.)  The four thought of themselves as the cream of their year, the kids who were the "Level Ones" in the social hierarchy of their peers.  Made more special through their association with the aforementioned boy.

But underlying their self confidence are all the usual teenage neuroses, doubts and frailties.  What happens when they find out that they aren't as special as they think?  In the always connected age of social media the mistakes of our younger years are more immediate, more powerful and longer lasting, with no hiding place provided, and victimisation can swiftly get out of hand.

All four members of the cast deliver excellent performances, with the right balance of cockiness and vulnerability.  The song and dance routines are effective, but overlong at times, and could easily have been shortened.  An enjoyable and laugh filled hour, with a dark core.

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