Inspirit
Vaulty Towers
Reviewed – 7th February 2019
★★★★
“Bradley Walker’s words are brought to life in a fresh, endearing and laugh out loud production”
Inspirit is billed as ‘A quirky three-hander dark comedy that explores the difficulty of moving on from deceased loved ones… from the point of view of the departed soul.’ It is a play, pie, pint show, produced by Temporarily Misplaced Productions, written by Bradley Walker and directed by Emily Hutt.
Before the show, piping hot pies were brought out for audience members, and the delicious smell filled Vaulty Towers, the fabulously eccentric pub that is run by The Vaults team. The crazy decor and snug corners make for a great place to wait for a play to start, and most of the waiting audience were snapping photos. I recommend going there for a drink, even if you’re not seeing a show. When the pies were gone it was time for the play, an extract of a longer work, and we went down into a tiny space.
The set was a sofa and a table with four bottles of beer, and it was all that was needed as a background to this very funny piece. Jude, played by Charlie Woodford, is bringing home a guy for sex. Jude is the straight man of the piece, and Woodford did a nice job of making his likeable. His date is the incredibly uncomfortable and paralysingly nervous Michael portrayed by Joel Watson-Smith in an outstanding and hilarious performance. His timing is spot on, and he had the audience with him from the very start. Jude tries to relax Michael, explaining that it’s his first one night stand too, and that he hasn’t had sex for four years. But Michael is a gawky mess, and relaxation seems unlikely. Even more so when Jude goes off stage to freshen up, and the ghost of his ex-boyfriend appears from behind the sofa. Played by Michael Parker, dusted with white powder, William is trying to learn how to haunt, and really not doing well. One of the funniest scenes takes place when Jude returns and both he and the ghost talk to Michael. Jude can’t see the apparition, and Michael tries to balance the two conversations without appearing to be unhinged.
The extract ends at an intriguing point, and I wanted it to continue. It’s definitely one I will try to catch when it has a full performance. Emily Hutt has directed with a great eye to comedy and pace. Nothing is forced, and Bradley Walker’s words are brought to life in a fresh, endearing and laugh out loud production. Well written, well directed and well acted, this is one to go and see!
Reviewed by Katre
Inspirit
Vaulty Towers
Play Pie Pint runs lunchtimes Monday to Thursday until 27th April with different shows
Last ten shows covered by this reviewer:
Jacques Brel: A Life a Thousand Times | ★★ | Mirth, Marvel and Maud | September 2018
Murder She Didn’t Write | ★★★★ | Leicester Square Theatre | September 2018
Busking It | ★★★★ | Shoreditch Town Hall | October 2018
The Emperor and the Concubine | ★★★★ | Sadler’s Wells Theatre | October 2018
Brexit | ★★★★★ | King’s Head Theatre | November 2018
Operation Ouch! | ★★★★★ | Apollo Theatre | December 2018
Peter Pan | ★★★★ | Park Theatre | December 2018
Swan Lake | ★★★★★ | Sadler’s Wells Theatre | December 2018
Anomaly | ★★★★ | Old Red Lion Theatre | January 2019
The Dame | ★★★★ | Park Theatre | January 2019
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