DON’T Wake The Damp is the latest comedy from the Lowry’s resident performing troupe, Kill The Beast. Our Entertainment Editor Will Stevenson went along to see what the trouble with the damp was all about…
With a heavy dose of 80s schlock, a self-aware satirical plot and some hilarious performances, Don’t Wake The Damp demands its audience’s attention from the very first scene – a priceless tribute to corny, over the top TV sci-fi – to the unpredictable, funny and shocking ending.
The play runs for around 80 minutes, with no intermission, and is performed in the Lowry’s smallest performing space.
This intimate venue lets the audience have a clear view of each of the four actors faces whilst performing: this only makes their job that much harder as they can’t slip character for a moment lest someone sat literally centimetres away in the front row notices.
It also makes the lightning fast costume changes, sleight of hand and use of props ever more impressive.
Don’t Wake The Damp follows the tale of June (Natasha Hodgson) an ex-sci fi actress with a mysterious past.
When council official Terry (David Cumming) arrives to explain that she must leave her tower block apartment due to the Damp rising from below, she refuses to vacate, beginning a sequence of events that goes on to include action sequences, hilarious one liners and some genuine surprisingly powerful character moments.
Along their way, June and Terry meet up with a couple of rogue inhabitants.
Devlin Plaque (Ollie Jones) is a self-obsessed sarcastic coward who’s given some of the best lines in the production. His snivelling, posh-boy attitude is distinctly reminiscent of Red Dwarf’s Rimmer and no less hilarious.
Joining them on their adventure is Lexxie (Zoe Roberts) a fangirl of the show June once stared in. The interaction between Lexxie and June is some of the greatest in the play; it functions as a great muse on what celebrity should mean whilst never becoming too self-indulgent.
At no point would Don’t Wake The Damp be considered a musical, but it contains seven original songs all performed live by the whole cast. These include the theme song to the fictional “Crystal Continuum” TV show – a Power Rangers theme style over-the-top glam rock tune with some hilarious lyrics.
These songs – along with the rest of the show – are performed with what has become trademark Kill The Beast enthusiasm, energy and bombast. Keeping up such a high energy show for the full runtime is impressive, to say the least.
There are several twists and turns in the story yet at no point does it feel unnatural. Between them, Kill The Beast weave a convincing story; they’ve a fantastic understanding of both theatre and cinema. This understanding allows them to subvert tropes to great success.
The uber-sharp script is littered with nods and references to various action and horror films and the consistently funny sending up of the 80s casual sexism ties everything together hilariously.
Don’t Wake The Damp is a perfect Halloween-tie show that is (just about) suitable for all ages. Kill The Beast prove once again that they are one of the strongest and strangest theatrical groups in the North right now.
By Will Stevenson
@willreviews
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