Review: A GREASY SPOON, Liverpool's Royal Court

Liverpool’s Royal Court is known for championing new writing - and the theatre has once again delivered a brilliant new comedy in their latest production, A Greasy Spoon.

Directed by Francesca Goodridge and written by theatre maker and new writing talent Alice Bunker-Whitney, A Greasy Spoon follows two cafe workers called Mandy and Shannon who have just murdered their boss. With customers queuing up for their morning lattes and the police on their way, the story escalates quickly as Mandy and Shannon try to figure out what to do.

There are no spoilers here, but A Greasy Spoon certainly keeps you on your toes with plenty of twists and turns worthy of a mainstream crime drama - along with plenty of helpings of superb comedy moments and witty one-liners.

The story begins at a quick pace, with the opening scene featuring Mandy and Shannon trying to figure out what do after murdering their boss. While the first few scenes take a little time to establish the multiple characters within the story, the production maintains a quick momentum as the introduction of a builder, a homemade badge seller and a rather angry sales person bring unexpected revelations, suspense and hilarious dialogue to a story that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Lindzi Germain and Hayley Sheen are a brilliant duo as Mandy and Shannon. Hayley’s serious Shannon in contrast to Lindzi’s dry-witted Mandy, as they both disagree at times over what to do, which creates a hilarious back and forth dialogue between the pair. There is also lots of amusing physical comedy from the duo too, particularly through the use of a projection screen onstage.

The impressive cafe set design by Alfie Heywood (where all the action in the production takes place) combines with Ian Scott’s lighting design to create a cafe office window that enables the audience to see what goes on in the room without having to change the set around.

Shadow projections allow action to take place in both the office and the cafe simultaneously to excellent effect. It is a cleverly crafted theatrical device that matches the well-written script and produces moments of comedy gold.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Royal Court mainstage newcomers Jay Johnson (who previously appeared at Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio in one man-show Whatever Happened to Billy Kenny) and Anthony Gough, as the builder and the badges guy respectively, are two rising stars that this reviewer hopes to see again at the theatre. Both actors know where to land the jokes and have excellent comic timing. From Jay’s builder screaming in shock when Anthony’s badge seller says hello unexpectedly from beneath a tablecloth, to the pair’s reactions to Mandy’s cooking, they leave the audience roaring with laughter.

Joining them is Adam McCoy as no less than four characters. From the police, to the mum of badge’s guy, the angry sales person and a customer obsessed with skinny lattes, Adam deserves a standing ovation of his own for his quick character changes. His well-thought out vocal performances make the characters instantly recognisable - both when they appear on stage and just as voiceovers on a phone call. 

Combining nods to famous police crime dramas, a wonderfully witty script and plenty of suspense, A Greasy Spoon at Liverpool’s Royal Court is a must-see.

A Greasy Spoon is at Liverpool's Royal Court until 26 August

Photo Credit: Liverpool's Royal Court

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