There’s madness in the method of the sliding doors story of OUR HOUSE by Tim Firth, writer of such classics as Calendar Girls and Kinky Boots.
Inspired and incorporating songs from the baggy trousered British ska band of the Eighties, Madness, OUR HOUSE is basically a star crossed lovers’ story, between Joe and Sarah, told in parallel narratives that illustrate how wrong turns, missteps, and side-swipes can change the course of lives.
Joe, a rambunctious Camden lad, finds himself at the wrong end of the long arm of the law and the play follows both forks in the road he could have chosen after his juvenile delinquency, the good Joe or the bad Joe.
The either/or stories are are presided over with commentary by Joe’s dead dad, a catalyst corpse, the ghost who glues the two stories together.
Director Roger Gimblett champions the cheer over the darker aspects of the stories and why not- if only more people would accentuate the positive, good Joe’s struggle with society would have dissipated. Gimblett has infused his cast with the joy of a jukebox journey and has coaxed some lovely performances.
Rachel Hertz as Sarah presents a steely sweetness accompanied by a clear and pleasant singing voice. One of the highlights of the show is It Must Be Love, sung as a duet between Joe and Sarah, that works a treat.
Erin Bogart and Tess Marshall are terrific as Billie and Angie, two high octane Casey Street gals who sing and dance and give more brass than the band.
Their laddish counterparts, Emmo and Lewis are well served with cheeky business by Mark Kruize and Jonty Davies-Conyngham.
Owen Gimblett’s red brick set design is perfectly pitched to the “Our House in the middle of Our Street” scenario and ingeniously caters for a car to pop out for a jaunty rendition of Driving In My Car – though it’s certainly not a Jaguar you’ll be satisfied he got that far!
Musical director Timothy M Carter keeps the keys, brass and reeds led foundations of OUR HOUSE rock solid and Debbie Smith’s choreography epitomises the joie de jeune.
Crazy quaint laced with an infectious enthusiasm, this production of OUR HOUSE, with its subtle subversion of the space, is a warm welcome to a house of fun.