2:00pm Friday 3rd September 2010
FIVE very different women walk through the door of Gabby’s Wiggle and Giggle with Me pole-dancing class in The Naked Truth, their reasons for joining as diverse as they are.
There’s busty, big-mouth Bev, the life and soul, dragging along the aptly named, Faith, clinging to the belief that Mr Right, or Mr Anyone, is out there for her and always a heartbeat or a misunderstanding behind the others. Then there’s the relentlessly upbeat, determinedly happily married Trisha whose mouth opens long before her brain engages and Rita, who shoots from the hip, but may not have the right target in sight. The ensemble is completed by quiet, self-effacing Sarah who’s not convinced she’s in the right place at all and, of course, teacher Gabby, a fragile beauty who has a story of her own to tell.
For all of them, the classes become a refuge, a place of safety where the deepest truths about their lives emerge, the friendships forged there building confidence, resolve and unshakable bonds.
It is a massive credit to the cast that we warmed instantly to all six women, laughing (and crying) with them as the ‘naked truth’ of their lives was laid bare. The obvious enjoyment they had playing these multi-layered women, where no-one was entirely what they seemed, a warning to us all of the perils of making a snap judgement, was thoroughly infectious, gathering whoops of enthusiastic approval when the pole-dancing finale arrived. Leanne Jones and Alison Young, Bev and Faith, were a glorious double act - the way Alison maintained Faith’s bafflement without corpsing was awesome - and Leanne’s comic timing and delivery were impeccable. Julie Buckfield’s Trisha was believably brittle and Claire King inhabited Rita’s skin effortlessly, ending with a pole-dancing solo that was a tour de force. Maureen Nolan and Michelle Heaton both brought a quiet dignity to their roles as Sarah, a woman determined to live life to the full and Gabby, proud and private but bruised by her experiences.
This truly is a great night out - for anyone - a script crackling with one-liners delivered by a brilliant cast, humming with the anticipation f the final performance which, when it comes, is fabulous, high-octane entertainment.
The Naked Truth is at The Courtyard until Saturday, September 4. To book, call the box office on 01432 340555.
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