ON Thursday (July 28), The Kinky Boot Institute duo performed their original take on the North West, via the mediums of dance, mime, and acting. Quays News entertainment reporter Rae Coppola went along to see what the evening had in store…
The parody-esque show, fully titled ‘The Book of Northern: The entire history of the North West’, told in under an hour, was written, directed and performed by Lewis Charlesworth and Rosie Phillips.
It was split up into chapters, with different ‘historical’ sketches taking place in each and the pair swapping roles and genders throughout as they saw fit.
They had choreographed the show to earn as many laughs as possible, but since no two shows are the same it was obvious that the versatile pair could improvise their act accordingly, dependent on their audience’s sense of humour.
For example, when the, “I say [something], you say reet,” call and response gag failed, they quickly changed chapter and filled the time with other unseen content.
The likeable duo bounced off each other and had a real stage chemistry, making each scene come to life and seem entirely plausible.
This was even the case when they placed today’s stereotypical millennial hipster with a 1300s market trader, and created a sketch incorporating vintage fashion and lactose free milk.
Phillips’ sarcastic responses and is-this-actually-happening audience glances really added to the comedic value of the scene.
The highlight of the show, however, was a sketch taking place during the Christmas truce of World War I, whereby a Mancunian and a very convincing sounding German solider, played by Charlesworth, had a discussion from their adjacent trenches.
The violent sport fanatic, who at one point offered the English Northerner cyanide to, “Spice up his alcohol,” turned out to be Adolf Hitler, as the audience found out when he signed off a letter home transcribed by his ‘enemy’.
The Book of Northern was hilarious tonight, definitely the best show I've seen at @GMFringe so far! Massive well done to @KinkyBootInst ?
— Rae Coppola (@rae_coppola) July 28, 2016
Ending on a slightly disturbing note, Charlesworth whipped off his top, and got out a ukulele to perform a Bee Gees medley.
He claimed that the Northern chart-toppers were underrated, and therefore they the perfect way to round off the show.
Hitting all the high notes, in a variety of different voices, inevitably got the audience laughing and wondering about the sheer randomness of the finale.
All in all, the Book of Northern was undoubtedly bizarre, and a little bit silly, but it was fresh, funny, and one of the best shows I had seen at the 2016 Greater Manchester Fringe Festival.
By Rae Coppola
@raethedeer
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