Scam

Goggle Eye Theatre Company
Written and directed by Gavin Harrison
Unity Theatre (9th-10th June 2006)

Reviewed by Helen Grey

‘Scam’ follows the pursuits of three members of the fantastically named ‘The Puke Kittens’ in their effort to become rich and famous rock stars. Unfortunately the band’s attempts to secure gigs in the pubs and clubs of Liverpool are somewhat less than successful. But their luck begins to change when leader Cliff contacts Scam Records, and they offer the band a record deal if they can provide them with a demo tape - which is going to cost the skint trio £500. The only way Cliff, Mick and Allan can see to raise the money is to turn to petty crime - which of course catalyses a chain of events.

This play is a bit of a rollercoaster. Some of the jokes don’t really work and at times it seemed like I was watching a stand-up performance rather than a play. It also felt a little long at two hours and perhaps could have flowed better if it was cut slightly. But it wasn’t all bad. The company successfully used pre-recorded material to show various flashbacks on a large screen at the back of the stage. They then used this technique to produce a Big Brother-style diary room for the band members to record their often strange and surreal thoughts. Despite some of the lame jokes there were plenty of good quality one liners and the delivery was fair. One interesting touch was the invasion of the bar area by the actors during the interval, which had the effect of continuing the story outside of the usual confines of the auditorium. The musical number that involved the entire cast is also worth a mention and didn’t feel out of place in this strange comedy production.

‘Scam’ wasn’t perfect but the good bits defiantly outweighed the bad. I’ll be intrigued to see what Goggle Eye come up with next.