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Jacob Easton enjoys a soulful and relatable production which explores acceptance and identity
Soulful, relatable and so instantly recognisable, Walk Like A Man made a triumphant debut at Gosforth Civic Theatre.
The story is a simple yet pertinent one, a young man destined to follow the plumbing footsteps of his laddish brother and working-class father, aspires to follow his own path as a performer. And not just in Jersey Boys, because Jack has a secret passion for drag.
The portrayal of Jack (Luke David Martin) is razor sharp, capturing the frustration, isolation and joyfulness of the character with aplomb. In support is Jack’s somewhat philistine, but lovingly understated father Mick, who is perfectly pitched by the writer Steve Lowes, staying away from archetypal tropes, and packing a loving heart which bursts out at all the right moments.
Accompanying Jack is his older brother Michael (Craig Pearson), mam Michelle (Heather Dowey) and his rambunctious Aunty Sue (Lynn Huntley). Beyond the family, Jack works in the family plumbing business with Queens Head patrons Derek (John Torrance) and Eddie (Colin Coombes), all whilst keeping the full details of his ‘college course’ on the down low. It’s following Derek’s disclosure of a surprising past that Jack really starts to grow into his own.
Heavier stuff aside, the writing in this piece is outstanding. Its dialogue effortlessly flips the archetypal impressions of the characters to great comedic effect, from the dryness of dad Mick (“other people won’t be as open minded as me”) to seedy Eddie’s surprising knowledge of TV times for RuPaul’s Drag Race. And the characters are all so instantly recognisable.
It really feels like the writer has bottled and preserved a space in time here. The humour, the dialogue and the interactions between characters are as clean a representation of Geordie subculture as you’ll see on stage. I’d previously never felt like reaching for a pen and paper mid-play, to just note the lines being exchanged.
Artistically speaking, the play brilliantly explores acceptance and the variety of ways in which working-class men express their love and support. The heel stomping late arrival of Michael to Jack’s drag show (hosted by landlord and narrator James Craister) being a delightful point.
But also, it’s a great laugh. Keep an eye out for a second run!
