One Man, Two Guvnors Bursts at the Seams
Onstage shenanigans / IMAGE: Jack Stalter
October 2nd, 2018 – It was the first day of autumn. The night was filled with coolness in Central Illinois, but the Performing Arts Center of ICC in East Peoria was bursting with hot, sizzling, cheeky comedy with a British accent. The high energy and witty stage play, One Man, Two Guvnors, by Richard Bean, had the audience laughing with its humorous monologues and roguish slapstick. It opened on Friday, September 21st and closed on the 30th.
The story is based in Brighton, England in the year 1963. The lead character, Francis, is hired by Roscoe, and then hired by Stanley. He assists them separately. Francis desperately wants to satisfy both employers, but frantically tries to keep the two men from knowing about each other. There are many twists and turns in this storyline, with misleading disguises, an outspoken feminist, a high saturation of sexual content and a desperation for food. This play had everything. Surprisingly, they also asked the audience to volunteer, engaging them in some of the comedic fun. In one performance, an actor accidentally broke a glass while giving a monologue. Nonetheless, the performer carried on as if it were a part of the show, referencing the shattered glass in a burst of amusing improvisation. The audience ate it up.
One Man, Two Guvnors is a blend of the old PBS shows; The Benny Hill Show and Are You Being Served with a dash of Fawlty Towers. The jokes and some of the acts are mature for younger audiences, but overall, it was a sheer delight. By Wil Baker | VIDEO BELOW