Writers and Directors: Chad Porter and James Darby
Guy Fawkes It Up is a farce about the 1605 gunpowder plot. A group of disgruntled Catholics plan to explode parliament on the day of its state opening, killing the King and all the Lords within. They’ve plotted intensely, they’ve covered every angle, they’ve dropped a heavy hint to one of the Lords that he should pull a sickie that day… will they succeed?
For all the hundreds of years worth of celebration about the foiling of the gunpowder plot, Catesby and Co were very much bunglers. Not only did they tip off one of the Lords about their plan, but half of them blew themselves up when they decided to dry gunpowder by a fire. What’s more, the famed Guy Fawkes hid himself under the cunning alias of John Johnson. There’s enough farce in the historical events.
Laughing Mirror adds to that farce, having King James infiltrate the gang because he’s a direct look-alike of member, Ambrose Rookwood. The cast has a lot of fun doubling roles, with a detective unable to catch himself because he’s played by the same person and a criminal conspiracy that only seems to meet in batches of six.
Harrison Cole plays a self-satisfied Fawkes, who believes that he was born to greatness and is prone to make speeches with Elgar playing behind him. Cole also has genuinely pointy facial hair. Seb Fear is a wonderfully wimpish King James, aided by Hattie Manton as his more competent wife. Jess Cuthbert plays an efficient Catesby, who’d probably have got the deed done if she wasn’t weighed down by the rest of the gang, whilst Ellie Church thinks she can explode people with her mind. Daniel Hemsley starts the play in handcuffs with a gag round his mouth, yet is very able to make his feelings clear.
Guy Fawkes It Up mixes in references to Fifty Shades of Grey, Scanners and the lyrics of various eighties hits. This tendency to reach for every and any joke can be a little exhausting. It’s the sort of comedy that focuses more on the number of jokes than their accuracy. That said, many of the jokes work well and a particular scene with an entire hierarchy of Catholic priests who speak only in school assembly songs has some of the audience in tears of laughter.
This is a fun, if unsophisticated romp through an already silly piece of history.
Runs until 28 October 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
Good fun, but not necessarily one to remember, remember
