ED2011 3/5 Reviews ED2011 Theatre Reviews

Simon Callow In Tuesday At Tescos (Assembly)

By Gavin Leech | Published on Sunday 14 August 2011

Pauline, who once lived as ‘Paul’, is a brittle, bouncy and affected woman looking after her hostile ageing dad once a week. It’s a long monologue about terrible ordinariness, with Pauline often anxiously assuring us of her gender. The effects of transphobia play out as Pauline lives constantly with the call to justify her self, yet impressively, the suffering of bigots, too, is touched on. Pauline dances the pain of bigotry away as Callow shakes his booty in heels. Disappointingly, Callow often stumbles over his lines, particularly when impersonating her father. The twists comes very late, giving rise to the piece’s only surprise and only moment of pure affection; otherwise, ever Tuesday is the same and there is no warming reconciliation.

Assembly Hall, 4 – 29 Aug (not 8, 15, 22), 2.00pm (3.15pm), £15.00 – £20.00, fpp297.
tw rating 3/5
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