Theatre Review - Dead Heavy Fantastic

Dead Heavy Fantastic
Liverpool Everyman till Saturday 2nd April

8/10

It was only a matter of time before a Liverpool night out became a theatrical subject.

Robert Farquhar’s Dead Heavy Fantastic is premiering at the Everyman and is the story of divorced middle-aged postman Frank (Alan Stocks) who goes out on a first date with a girl he met online. Fully expecting to be back home before midnight Frank is pulled into one wild night out where he encounters his dates’ ex, stumbles into insurance fraud, gets mixed up with a hen night and experiences prostitutes, karaoke and drugs – that’s just the beginning. Inevitably before daylight he also finds himself and learns a lot along the way.

Alongside Stocks, the cast list is stuffed full of Liverpool talent; many of whom are more at home at the City’s Royal Court Theatre. Helen Carter, Stephen Fletcher and daughter of Drew, Jess Schofield all play some of the larger than life characters Frank meets. The Royal Court comparison is important because the audience, as loud and boisterous as the action, feel like they have walked right up the Mount Pleasant from that theatre.

The play itself is both funny and touching and has clearly seen many drafts and editing from the theatre’s Literary department since a version was first shown over a decade ago.

Director Matt Wilde returns to the theatre he directed another piece of new Liverpool writing in - Lost Monsters. The epic nature of that production remains here with some of the best video projections I have seen balanced with refined light of touch moments.

As Frank, Stocks is as likeable as you would hope and is a perfect foil to on-the-edge Con O’Neill as gangster Vince. Another Liverpool legend; O’Neill appears to be attempting a scouse DeNiro.

This is Frank’s story with Vince playing a sidekick role and the other characters can feel mere extras. Fletcher’s nervy solicitor misses the mark and the female characters are a little two dimensional.

It must be noted that with very strong swearing and farcical drug taking this isn’t a family show but neither ever feels glorified.

Comparisons with the Royal Court will be made but apart from a mis-judged joke about the Wirral none of the humour feels forced. The key difference between this and shows such as Brick Up… is that Farquhar clearly has a genuine affection for the story and characters and no one is the butt of the jokes.

Dead Heavy Fantastic is more than well worth a watch and when the lights go out on the apocalyptic final scene next to the airport in Speke the audience have had as much fun as any night out in Liverpool without leaving their seats.