Andy Rush in Growth. Photo: Matt Humphrey Growth
Roundabout at Summerhall
13 August 2016
4 Stars
Paines Plough have established a fine tradition with their residency at the pop-up Roundabout. Stripping their work down to just actors and texts, performing in the round, they have presented some gems.
Growth joins that list of hugely enjoyable plays. When a Tinder date suggests Tobes gets a lump on his testicles checked out, he does what most men may do. He goes into denial, gets his best mate to feel his balls, has an embarrassing encounter with his fit female GP and focuses too much on his ex-girlfriend instead of his health problems.
Andy Rush is excellent as Tobes, frustrating in his inability to deal with his problems sensibly, but making us care and root for his recovery. He captures the fear any young lad would have. All the other parts are played by Remy Beasley and Richard Corgan and they shine in their versatility, Remy especially hilarious as the GP fibbing badly in an attempt to spare Tobe's feelings.
Luke Norris's script pings with outstanding one-liners, and occasionally could pause in more depth on Tobe's fear. However, a beautiful scene with Corgan playing a terminally ill patient is delivered with effective poignancy. This is a play about an issue many young men may not want to face- in fact the word cancer isn't spoken. Well worth checking out- then check them out lads! Highly recommended.
BOOK TICKETS FOR GROWTH AT SUMMERHALL
Paul is a playwright, director, actor, academic, (he has a PhD from the University of East Anglia), teacher and theatre reviewer! His plays include Living with Luke, (UK tour 2016), Play Something, (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Drayton Arms Theatre, London 2018), , (2019), and now The Miner’s Crow, which won the inaugural Artist’s Pick of the Fringe Award at the first ever Colchester Fringe Festival 2021. In lockdown 2020 he created the audio series Isolation Alan, available on Youtube, and performed online in the Voice Box Festival. He is the founder member of Stage Write, a Colchester based theatre company, and his acting roles include Rupert in How We Love by Annette Brook, first performed at the Vaults Festival 2020 and revived at the Arcola and at Theatre Peckham in 2021. Follow: @stagewrite_
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