A ne’er-do-well, a blind guy, and a Lenny type (y’know, ‘Of Mice And Men’ – big and slow) attempt kidnap. They don’t manage to bag any ransom but they do garner their audience’s most enthusiastic laughter during a truly delectable hour. Article19 deliver high jinx in this bungled kidnap farce in which the kidnapped is Jerry, once a star of the talkies, now on a downward trajectory towards obscurity. The play has a lovely, silver-screen feel to it, and a particular delight is Carmen, Jerry’s Puerto Rican wife, a lascivious Latino in leopard-print capri-pants. However, it is almost unfair to single someone out when each performance is an absolute joy. Lovely, with brilliantly-executed original writing; Article19 can kidnap me any day.

Zoo, 5 – 16 Aug, 7.00pm (8.00pm), £5.50 – £7.50, fpp239.
tw rating 5/5
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