Fredonia

Written by Marc Gee
Directed by Dan Meigh
Unity Theatre (30th September - 2nd October 2008)

Reviewed by Megan Agnew

It is 1980 and two Liverpool lads set off on a trip of a lifetime, hitchhiking their way across America to Fredonia, a town known in film circles – and to a couple of the characters – as the one from the Marx Brothers’ film Duck Soup. Continually greeted with that seemingly international response ‘Liverpool? Oh, The Beatles!’, the boys find themselves far from home as they stumble from one madcap situation to the next. On their journey they encounter a whole host of oddball characters, including drug runners, a Mexican Clint Eastwood wannabe who chases after them with a gun, a grizzly bear and a couple of religious truck drivers. Their trip ends with the news of the death of John Lennon, when they are inspired to carry on the journey and take a trip to Las Vegas.

Complete with live music and soundtrack, Fredonia is an account of two men who didn’t really grow up on a journey which brings together their wildest dreams with very real nightmares. Writer Marc Gee combines scouse humour and that immortal American idea of the road trip, to result in a daft but very funny comedy. It seemed as though the actors themselves were playing around with the script, experimenting with the humour and teasing one another in typically ‘Liverpool’ mode. The couple of times when they tripped up over their lines and one point when the stage door refused to open forcing them back across stage, only made it funnier and the audience all laughed along with it.

A very genuine and down-to-earth comedy, which demanded nothing from you but a chuckle every now and then.

Printer friendly page

Comments are closed for this review