All funny on the Western Front (From The Bolton News)

All funny on the Western Front

Last night's review by Gayle Evans Western Front, Octagon Theatre, Bolton. Runs

until tomorrow A FAST-moving comedy, Western Front, is a collection of thought-provoking, sometimes off-the-wall, cluster of short plays guaranteed to give you a laugh.

The night of short comedies, cleverly written by Bristol writers, contains something for everyone from romantic to farcical.

The madcap capers are carried off marvellously by talented performances from Nicola Barber, Olivia Colman, Stephen Mapes and Rob Morris.

Western Front has been written with originality, energy and zest.

The collection of saucy comedy began on a high note with an exceptionally side-splitting tale, Grey Matter. Written by Richard Davidson, the sketch mocks attitudes to death and body parts when the characters hack a brain to find an avocado pip in search of evil.

Beaches and Cream, by Adrian Sellers, was a laddish look at coping with a wet weekend at Weston-super-Mare.

Some of the plays worked the audience too hard - particularly at the end of a long, hard day. But overall, the wide range of material was enjoyed by a mixed age range of theatre-goers.

Olivia Colman shone in the final act of the night, Social Grooming, penned by Toby Farrow.

It was a sideways look at adult relationships through the eyes of a child at a birthday party.

Sharing candy cigarettes, the child-like character, Patsy, demonstrated the childishness of relationships and examined commitment. Stephen Mapes, whose TV work has included Casualty and Cold Feet, is a rising star to watch out for with comanding performances.

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