Book and Lyrics: Mike Stocks
Music: James Cleeve
Director: Mike Stocks
Hector Hanley, OBE is recounting his life to a packed house of fans. Regaling them with stories from his childhood through to where he is today. Unfortunately, however, he isn’t. He’s in an old people’s home and his increasing dementia is getting the better of him.
His nurse is trying to get him to sit down and drink his afternoon tea, but Hector is too engrossed in entertaining the non-existent audience to care about tea. And so, we’re introduced to this famous but, ultimately, disappointed star of pantomime.
Oh Yes I Am! is a musical comedy that looks back at the highs and lows of Hectors life through the stories he tells through his bouts of dementia. The wannabe serious actor who, through his own self-importance, could barely keep a job, ended up as the nation’s most famous pantomime dame, and received an OBE to boot.
With Mike Stock’s script Oh Yes I am! is both funny but also affectingly touching. Kevin West plays Hector beautifully. His physical shifts take us seamlessly from the old and near-decrepit Hector of today to the young and vibrant young man when recounting his stories. The subtly of his expressions poignantly lets us see and feel the confusion and frustration of his dementia as he is dragged back from his dream-like memories to the miserable reality of his life today.
Sam Dania has the unenviable task of playing the myriad of characters that come into Hector’s reminiscences, his former lover Dickie, his nurse, doctor, friend, elocution coach, and a host more. Dania delivers a mini masterclass in character acting, using everything from posture and hand gestures to mouth shapes and accents to give us his ménage of players.
Much as Hector’s life is interrupted by his memories, so the show is peppered with original songs. Mike Stock and James Cleeve have produced a Cole Porter influenced soundtrack that is ideally suited to the panto-focussed life of our protagonist. Comedy lyrics sung to jaunty tunes complement and progress the show wonderfully.
Oh Yes I Am! proves to be a highly entertaining show that looks at both the life of a charismatic actor and the impact of dementia. Anchored in the exceptional performances of both stars, it manages to be very moving and insightful whilst delivering laughs that are never at the expense of Hector’s situation.
Reviewed on 12 September 2022 and then at Bread & Roses 22-26 November
The Reviews Hub Score
Affectingly touching and funny
