One Man, Two Guvnors Review

                        

One Man, Two Guvnors is a modern play written by Richard Bean, which has been adapted from the 1859 Italian Renaissance farce commonly known as The Servant of Two Masters. Bean has set the play in early 1963, between the end of the Chatterley ban and the Beatles first LP.  It is on the cusp of the swinging 60s and the play is interjected with smut, musical interludes, charismatic thugs and bawdy humour. British comedy has always found a place in its heart for slapstick and, like its Italian forefather, One Man, Two Guvnors masters physical comedy with ease. Throw in some crafty witticisms and flamboyant characters and this has all the makings of a modern classic.   

The plot, like most renaissance farces, is hard to decipher, but follows the traditional structure of a classic case of mistaken identity, in which a plucky jester-type figure attempts to use the confusion to his advantage. James Corden plays Francis Henshall, an ousted skiffle player with an insatiable appetite who ends up working for two ‘guvnors’. One is Rachel Crabbe (Jemima Rooper), who has disguised herself as her recently murdered gangland twin brother Rosco, and the other is Stanley Stubbers, (Oliver Chris) a smooth talking, arrogant toff who murdered Rosco and is also Rachel’s secret lover. They are oblivious to the fact that Henshall is working for them both and hilarity ensues as he desperately tries to keep them apart as the lies and confusion mount up. Henshall’s motive is to put food in his belly, later followed by the lust for a woman and it is refreshing to see a modern play keep the farcical tradition intact.

Whilst I have never been a massive fan of James Corden’s celebrity persona, I have always admired his theatrical talent since his critically acclaimed role in The History Boys. In One Man, Two Guvnors, Corden commandeers the stage with ease and flourishes in a role that could seem hammy and one dimensional. His delivery is impeccable and the energy he brings to Francis Henshall’s optimistic ne’er-do-well makes the character endearingly genial. In one scene Corden displays some impressive slapstick comedy in which the two sides of Henshall’s conscience fight each other. Watching Corden repeatedly slap himself with force and roll around on the floor banging into dustbins takes some endurance and dedication. It is extremely funny and a nostalgic reminder of the bygone age of the vaudeville. Corden also has excellent reflexes when it comes to audience participation as some lucky people on the front row found out. Such is the talent of his acting that the audience automatically assumed that he was engaging in spontaneous improvisation and not, in fact, intricately woven dialect to throw off the plays timing. 

             

This is undoubtedly the James Corden show. However, there are two supporting actors who deserve much praise. Daniel Rigby plays Alan Dangle, an aspiring thespian whose mannerisms are influenced by the old style school of acting. Rigby is wonderful in this satirical role as the flamboyant Alan who has histrionic fits and comically puts great emphasis on ridiculous dialogue. One of my favourite parts of the play is when Rigby delivers the immortal line ‘Love is fluff, very fluffy fluff’ with sincerity and a dead pan face.  It is also amusing to see Rigby use dramatic extensions of his arms for everything his character Alan deems to be profound.

Another magnificent performance is by Oliver Chris, who plays toff Stanley Stubbers to great effect. Stanley is a testament to public school boy arrogance.  Stanley swaggers around the stage in a manner which should be abhorrent but it is down to Chris’s fantastic acting that the character is ultimately loveable. Chris allows us to revel in his gleeful school boy charm and then tut when his snooty vernacular rears its head. He is portraying a character we all know so well so there is added pressure not to fall for the obvious stereotypes, such as the gregarious snot drinking jugs of Pimms at the Local Hunt Ball. Placing Stanley in Brighton, away from his London idyll makes him slightly vulnerable, yet he always delivers the goods with some top toff lingo. His constant yup yup yup’s and exclamation of ‘Britain, what a CUNTry’ was a hilarious addition.

One Man, Two Guvnors is refreshingly traditional in its structure. Bean has done Goldoni proud because it really has embodied the heart and soul of a farce. It has been expertly adapted for a modern audience. Its humour is whip smart and its rubbery physical comedy gives it a unique edge. I think, most importantly, this play is brave. One Man, Two Guvnors is uplifting and unashamedly so, something which seems to be lacking in so much modern theatre. In the doom and gloom of credit crunch Britain, it lacks the cynicism of our age … or just covers it up very well.