Upstairs at The Gatehouse Archives - Page 9 of 17

Agent 14

Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Reviewed – 12th August 2019

★

“the audience is just watching a space with two chairs and a table, listening to an actor tell a story”

Agent 14 proclaims itself to be a one man show about a British intelligence agent “twice the age of 007 — but…twice as good!”. Hanging the success of a production on the protagonist’s age does this James Bond spoof no favours, especially when the script misses every chance to show us why an agent with thirty one years in the secret service is such an asset.

It’s always a risky business, spoofing a franchise as successful as Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. The advantage is that your audience will come to the theatre ready to recognise the jokes about the alleged trappings of international espionage. But you still have to deliver a drama that includes these elements, and which then does something unexpected with them. Agent 14 sets us up to believe that we are about to see a show where age triumphs over beauty and youthful athleticism. Unfortunately, Agent 14 inexplicably derails itself instead, presenting us with a story about men long past retirement age (for the secret service) trying to solve one last mystery.

Sadly, this one hander by Ann Richards is no action drama either. It is all tell, and no show. But then, there is a reason James Bond stories work so well in film, where rapid changes to lots of exotic locations are expected, as well as death defying stunts on complicated sets. It is very difficult to stage these things unless one has the resources of the National Theatre, and even then, elaborate staging cannot disguise a weak script. Staged upstairs at the more modest, but very welcoming Gatehouse pub, Agent 14 is essentially sixty minutes of sitting and listening to one actor recite an Ian Fleming-like story with several switches of character and some attempts at dialogue. At the very least, this script cries out for two actors. It’s a tough assignment for just one actor, no matter how talented. Not surprisingly, solo performer Gary Phillpott delivers an uncertain performance whether it is playing Agent 14 Hugo Gunn, or a charlady, or his boss, or a taxi driver, or even a sultry Russian spy. All the references to sports cars, bespoke Savile Row suits, fine cuisine, and unlimited cash to gamble with, cannot disguise the fact that, in Agent 14, the audience is just watching a space with two chairs and a table, listening to an actor tell a story.

Agent 14, produced by the Off The Fence Theatre Company, is part of the ongoing Camden Fringe Festival, which has several other shows running at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in
Highgate Village and other venues.

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Images by ZigZag Photography

Agent 14

Upstairs at the Gatehouse until 18th August as part of Camden Fringe 2019

Previously reviewed at this venue:

A Night at The Oscars | ★★★★ | February 2018

After the Ball | ★★★ | March 2018

Return to the Forbidden Planet | ★★★ | May 2018

Kafka’s Dick | ★★★★ | June 2018

Nice Work if You Can Get It | ★★★★ | December 2018

Bad Girls The Musical | ★★★ | February 2019

Strike Up The Band | ★★★★ | March 2019

The Marvelous Wonderettes | ★★★★ | April 2019

Flat Out | ★★★★ | June 2019

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com

★★★½

“A brave and charismatic performance”

Whilst comedy has always had a hand in social commentary, the last few years have brought a new strain of honesty to the mix; shows such as Richard Gadd’s ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’, Adam Lazarus’ ‘Daughter’ and Jessie Cave’s ‘Sunrise’ have relied more directly on personal experiences, creating a much riskier but ultimately richer and more engaging performance. ‘Oddball’ endeavours to do the same, talking at length about a subject that polite conversation dictates we circumnavigate.

Oddball has got herself a date. And this one is set to be a whole lot better than the endless duds who came before. Only thing is, it’s in a restaurant, the menu’s calorie content unknown. Which, Oddball assures us, is barely a thing. OK, it’s a bit of a thing. Actually, it’s kind of a major problem: Oddball was previously diagnosed with an eating disorder, and whilst the generally accepted narrative is that someone is diagnosed, treated and hey presto they’re cured, it’s rarely that simple.

‘Oddball’ tells a story of ongoing struggle with great humour and zeal. With director Micha Mirto opting for no props and a basic costume (shorts and a tank top), Francesca Maria Forristal (writer and performer) has nowhere to hide. She takes on the whole production, striding resolutely across the entire stage, miming any necessary accessories, including, somehow, changes in camera angles, with only a few sound effects (Jordan Clarke) to aid in her imagined creations. She is fearless in her undertaking, talking directly with the audience throughout, often bursting in to song. What’s most commendable is her effort to find the comedy in what is, no doubt, a very common and serious problem.

There’s a slight immaturity to the delivery – Forristal seems unsure whether the audience will in fact enjoy the combination of vaudeville and pathos, and recognise that there’s a difference between laughing with and laughing at affliction. But we do. It’s perhaps the only way to tell a story like this, spliced generously with laughter. The plot could also be a little pacier, maybe making room for a meatier story line, and even a second half.

A brave and charismatic performance, Forristal is clearly one to watch. Whilst she may have a way to go it’s exciting to see the beginning of what will no doubt be a long and successful venture in comedy.

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Chris Cox