REVIEW: The Ale House Dome Theatre - Grand Central Hall

Photo Credit: David Munn

It certainly was an extended happy hour between the hours of 8pm and 10pm last night at The Dome Theatre Liverpool. Based in the Grade II listed building of Grand Central hall, the Ale House opened it's doors to willing punters eagerly awaiting the show's first night's performance.

From the outset, the hilarious comedy had the audience roaring with laughter. The comedy play runs until Saturday March 19th and opened with a bang. Philip Olivier and Jake Abraham co-directed the production via their production company Bear Ass productions Ltd. The play was originally written by Furlong & Powers. The duo have teamed up with Donna Smith  - Tony Furlong's late partner and his friend Jimmy Powers to come up with this modified version of The Ale House.

Be warned, the "F" word is pebble-dashed throughout the performance so if you are offended by profanity and sexual references, you are likely to struggle with the expletives. That said, the choice of language is in keeping with the humour of the scenes. The coarseness of the language, the salt of the earth nature of  the protagonists, the rawness of the dialogue really connected the audience with the characters and a love story even blossomed between some of the characters which the audience responded to appreciatively.


Cast:
Lindzi  Germain - Lucy
George Wilson - Kick off (a.k.a. Softarse)
James McMartin -Robbo
Les Doherty - Father Flaherty
Bernie Foley - Mary and Nelly
Kivan Dean -Hawker and Les
Jake Abraham - Trevor
Nick Birkinshaw - Joe
Philip Olivier - Yogi

Expect 'Arl fellas and 'arl girls galore with so many scenes reminiscent of old fashioned ale houses. Throw into the mix alcoholics and wannabe drug Barons. Expect belly laughs and giggling at the "wrongness" of it all. It's like a sitcom that you could expect to tune into each week for the next exciting episode. Prepare to watch voyeuristically as the shenanigans unfold.  There are references to Liverpool landmarks which give the audience something to relate to.

Jake Abraham gave a stunning performance. For a man of few words, he was outstanding. The Tourettes suffering character endears himself to the audience with his ticks, profanity and undeniable stage presence. as did Lindzi Germain. Her voice is incredible, outstanding in fact and she is the cohesive force throughout the play holding it together and keeping the other characters in check. She is the Matriarch, tough but also a strong, sensual woman worthy of love. The tenderness that unfolds between and one of her counterparts is heartwarming.

On a critical note, I struggled to understand George Wilson's accent as he seemed to switch dialects. I wasn't particularly convinced by his character either. Les Doherty was excellent, he delivered his part with enthusiasm and humour. As a non-Scouser, I expected to struggle with understanding the colloquialisms but I got the gist just fine. The entire cast were magnificent, worthy of praise and the comedy was well received by the audience.

With scenes from the cult film Pulp Fiction accompanied with strobe lighting, the scenes were captivating and side splitting in their content. The crowd gave the cast a standing ovation and released their inner Tina Turner, dancing to "Proud Mary". This show will have you rolling with laughter. Leave your inhibitions at the entrance and enjoy the ride. 

The official charity for Ale house is the James Bulger Memorial Trust 

The show runs until Saturday March 19th at the Grade II listed building - Dome Theatre Grand Central.

Get your tickets here or call the box office on 0844 8000 410