A Review of The Play What They Wrote Birmingham Rep Stream
A homage to Morecombe and Wise, but more than that — a homage to all the comedy double acts ever. Think Working Men’s Club humour mostly cleaned up and endless, endless throwaway puns…and that song at the end…
Right up until the end, it lacks the emotional pull of Morecombe and Wise — their shows always ended in kindness. This is more double act franticness; a play within a play which will either end up as Morecombe and Wise, or A Tale of Two Cities/carry on up the French Revolution. Also, there is Arthur who may or may not succeed in playing his harmonica as well as a West End Producer, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hiddleston/Loki…Heaps of double entendres if you want to look for them! and very very silly situations. Refreshingly 99.9% swear free, and while tending towards the smutty in parts, there is much here that is just genuinely funny and silly, like Carmen Miranda goes wrong, and everyone falling on and off a wall (which has to be seen to be believed, as one of the cast is being… Scarlett Johansson!)
And I’ve just got why they referenced David Pugh so much — he is infact the Producer of the play!
My favourite bit — the Morecombe and Wise Appreciation Society; the militant, military wing! Accept no substitutes!!!! And everyone skipped off…. Not to mention the joke about symbolic France who camembert/cannae bear the suffering of the French people =)
No idea — but it’s funny!
Scarlett Johansson, a bread stick and a waiter (who will end up ‘wearing glasses’) — queue lots of literal slapstick comedy coming up….
A giant dog!!! and two Morecombes in search a Wise….(cos they all want to be the ‘funny’ one)
Tom Hiddleston has no idea what he’s let himself in for!!!!
Lots of word play as the double act fail to get anyone’s name right!
The battle of the Tom Hiddlestons — can you spot the real Loki?!!!!!
A chair for the actor!!!!
Admiring Tom Hiddleston’s Coriolanus (cheeky!)
Fawning over the guest to get him to sign his autograph …on lots of cheques!
No diva actors here — Tom Hiddleston must exit pursued by a chair….
The play what they wrote (or the other Tom!) Watch the prisoner’s arms…. and Tom Hiddleston’s summersault and acting concussed…Fourth walling over the shop from now on!!! and prison wall Jenga…
Tom Hiddleston as never seen before and the Scarlet Pimple….
It all ends well with a song, dance and can-canning skeletons! Apart from an unfortunate incident with the guest’s head and a guillotine blade.. which explains the neck brace in later pictures….
Classic Eric and Ernie bedtime plus angry Tom Hiddleston in a neck brace!
Even when recovering from accidental guillotining, Tom Hiddleston is magnificent!
And everyone skipped off having brought us sunshine!!!
@Screenshots from the production of The Play What I Wrote streamed by Birmingham Rep Theatre — used purely to illustrate the comedy! April 2022.
By Susan Tailby. Appreciator of arts and culture; things I've seen and enjoyed and you might too! Reviews all my own opinion....Theatre, Movies, Dance & Art!
