Review: HELL YES I'M TOUGH ENOUGH, Park Theatre

It's hard - really hard - to get comedy right. And, maybe, it's really, really hard to get it right when you walk on to territory occupied by such classics as Yes, Minister and The Thick Of It. To his credit, Ben Alderton took on that challenge - but I'm afraid that's about where the credit runs out.

We're back in run up to the 2015 General Election (which feels like 208 very long weeks in politics ago) and Blues' PM David Carter is fighting an unlikely ten weeks long election campaign against Reds' leader, Ned Contraband. Meanwhile, Carter's coalition partner, Nick Clog, simpers at his feet and they all quail in the presence of ultra-hardnosed campaign manager, Glyniss. Contraband has his own version of just such a bastard in life coach Sharon Slaughter, whose methods differ from current incumbent, New Age hippy Will.

It's a set up that might just work, but Alderton never quite settles on a tone. There are moments of absurdity - a raucous rendition of "Uptown Funk" followed by tumblers of scotch (at 9am) - and moments of more conventional satire - cliché-ridden speeches that patronise the public. But the play drifts for over two hours and is inexplicably delivered at top volume in an auditorium seating 90 in four rows. Why shout quite so much?

We get that Carter (played by Alderton) is a monster, but the oily charm that ex-PM Cameron possessed is missing, so he comes across as a one-dimensional, entitled thug in whose company you're obliged to spend quite a lot of time. Ben Hood does some decent character work as Contraband, but just as you see a little of the insecurity that drives his gauche nervousness, he's required to (literally) act the fool and it's gone.

Amongst the support cast, Mikhail Sen does what he can with idealistic consultant Patrick, the one sane person in the asylum, while Venice van Someren does what she can with the underwritten role of Poppy, the official coffee girl but unofficial advisor who always seems to be in situations like this.

Towards the end of the play, there's reference to Mrs Thatcher winning the General Election of 1974 (not 1979) which may have been a joke, but is more likely a simple mistake. It's nitpicking to point that out, but it's indicative of a lack of appreciation of the political history and, consequently, it does matter.

The best parodies are always backed with a thoroughgoing knowledge of time and place and just a hint of reluctant admiration for their targets. The hatchet taken to British politics in this show might have been better employed to excise much of the script and cleave out some space for just a little humanity in the party political zoo.

Hell Yes I'm Tough Enough continues at the Park Theatre until 18 May.

Photo Robert Workman

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