Scott Bradley and Gemma Boaden in BERT’S HOUSE. Photo Credit: Rebecca Cockcroft
Funny, witty and guaranteed to give you a laugh, BERT’S HOUSE is a masterclass of crossed wires and comedy gold.
Life is not going well for Bert. He’s a run-down bed and breakfast owner of a run-down guest house in a run-down seaside town. The estate agents are circling and things could not get much worse. His love for his receptionist, Emily, remains unspoken and unrequited, and he’s got a litany of guests he could do without, namely Mr Stevens, a boorish nightmare of toxic masculinity who seems stuck in the 1980s yuppie brand.
In this new work by Lou Chawner, we are introduced to the trials and tribulations of running a guest house: challenging paying guests, not having enough money to pay for proper repairs and now a new member of staff to train. During the play, we see pathos, quirky eccentricities and, most importantly, a lot of fun. The laughs are thick and fast – the end of the pier cheeky innuendo, the sprinkling of Carry On and the tradition of the great British farce. In the great tradition of a farce, the audience has a ringside seat to the unfolding events which are anticipated en masse, and it is quite simply a very funny play and a joy to watch.
Scott-Bradley and Lou Chawner in BERT’S HOUSE. Photo Credit: Rebecca Cockcroft
The cast are superb, the relationship between Bert (Lou Chawner) and his Girl Friday Emily (Lisa Ronaghan) is a masterclass in crossed wires and is comedy gold. The arrival of Jane (Isla Fleury) acts as a catalyst for the two to finally act and we see a backstory for Bert finally unfold in the best of traditional farce with the arrival of Jane whilst Mr Stevens (Scott Bradley), a man so self-assured it is frightening, drives the two main characters to act. There is also a subplot involving Vanessa and Michael Robinson (Gemma Boaden and Taresh Solanki, respectively), which gives rise to some hilarious insults and one-liners. Even Mr Stevens shows a heart underneath his brash exterior – for a while at least.
The writing is clever and fast, the words unspoken linger and the pace relentless. This really is a good night of fun, and the cast creates a superb atmosphere. The face in your hands laughing was evident from the audience along with belly laughs and cringeworthy moments. Put simply this touring production really should be seen if you want a good night out. It is funny, witty and guaranteed to give you a laugh. We are even treated to a spot of ukulele and singing, which would be out of place anywhere else, but in this quirky world of Bert’s house just seems entirely normal.
This is a work the cast can rightly be proud of, the smiles of the audience leaving were wide and the chatter full of praise. A good stay at Bert’s house indeed.
BERT’S HOUSE runs at Salford Arts Theatre, Salford, until 13 March 2024
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