A Review of Holy Mackerel! At the St John Mills Theatre
I’ve never been to The St John Mills Theatre before, even though I have lived in Suffolk nearly all my life. So when I got the opportunity to go and see what the Eastern Angles Theatre Company were up to I jumped at the chance.
What a lovely intimate theatre it is too! With audiences both sides of the stage I can imagine it is a challenge for the actors to make sure everyone can see the action of the play. But the 5 actors on the stage last night made it look easy, and with lots of audience participation the stage seemed in just the right place.
Holy Mackerel is a story set in 1896 in Newlyn, Cornwall, about fish riots. Yes, I know it is not very Christmasy but you know what, it was funny. I mean really funny. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone and I will add that no actual fish were hurt in the making of this play.
The theatre is small and compact, but it doesn’t feel squashy like the theatre in Bury St. Edmunds. It is roomy and because you are so near the actors you really do feel that you could be participating at any point during the performance. I did get a few smiles from Daniel Copeland when he was near our part of the stage. He is a natural, his performance of the Vicar and the Harbourmaster really did have me in stitches. He is larger than life but isn’t afraid to make fun of himself, and his rotund figure.
The other actors in the play were all seasoned performers, no-one had nerves or missed a cue, unless it was part of the joke, then a missed cue is amusing. I kept smiling all the time I watched the play, as the jokes and one liners came thick and fast. My favourite has to be the nautically themed - “the ship hit the clam”. This was certainly an 18 and over play as some of the jokes were quite near the mark, but not too offensive that people fainted.
There were plenty of Suffolk inbred jokes, which you have to expect when the story is set in Cornwall, and the actors are from a west coast theatre company Shanty Theatre Company. The story goes that East Anglian fishermen arrived in Cornwall and began catching the Cornish peoples fish, and they did it on a Sunday too. A strict day of rest for the Cornish folk. Apparently riots ensued and all hell broke loose. This wonderfully obscure true story really did have everyone in the theatre whooping with laughter. The actors really brought to life the story and the characters.
I have to admit my favourite was Mabel Clements, she played 3 different characters but the one I liked was Alice. She was on a dog leash and completely crazy. It was hilarious the way she sized up the audience and looked as if she was going for the attack. Such a slim girl looking so mean to me is funny.
So I think you can guess what I am going to recommend? You have to go and see this one, especially if you need a good laugh and time away from the stresses and strains of Christmas shopping. I know I did. This play has done me the world of good, and I am still smiling a whole day after just remembering Christian Edwards in gold lycra shorts and Harry Long in gold lycra trousers. You really can’t unsee that and it will be burnt on my retinas forever!
Happy Christmas.
By Wendie Alexander, UCS Undergraduate
