Theatre

Amid the sea of troubles that Bristol theatre is experiencing at the moment Papercut Productions are a flagship bravely facing the storm. 

With their debut performance of two contemporary short plays by Adrian Harris, Call Me and Post Box they demonstrate the valuable contribution the newly-refurbished Alma Tavern can make to theatre in Bristol, catering as it does for smaller audiences and offering reasonably priced tickets.   

So does this risky venture yield rich bounty? Unreservedly, it most surely does – both in terms of artistic merit and entertainment value and in terms of audience numbers.

Papercut obviously don’t need to “paper the house” to fill seats, and from the moment Call Me opens to the sound of 1980s group Blondie's Hanging on the Telephone, to the dramatic unexpected end of the second play Post Box there is not a moment of boredom.

Judging by the audience’s chuckles it clearly creates empathy within many folk who obviously recognise the stereotypical “office” characters and conversations that take place within this play.

We see great camaraderie between Susannah, played by Sarah Cunliffe, the experienced call centre advisor and the new trainee, Mica, played by Charlotte Ellis, as they both tolerate their plight, reflecting that “call centres are like the sweatshops of the new millennium”.

There are precise and convincing characterisations given in this show: Susannah is portrayed as a woman of thwarted dreams and wild imagination; Mica captures all the raw energy and razor-sharp intelligence of a “savvy chav” and playwright Adrian Harris, playing Jack, shows us a fine example of ambition and egotism.

Unexpected twist

This is a punchy well-written comedy which has an unexpected twist at the end as does the next play presented, Post Box.

The play opens to what appears to be a one-night stand taking place in a gay lawyer’s home. This is another short comedy that gives out some serious warnings at the same time as it amuses. 

We are shown the vulnerability of the lonely gay man who picks up a lad in a night club. It transpires that the young man is a thief who spikes his victims’ drinks and then robs them. 

This play could be summed up by Alan (played by Adrian Harris) who says “everything you do has consequences”. 

We are presented with a scenario where the victim turns out to be the predator. Then there is a further twist that neither of these men, both of whom are pretending to be something other than they really are, has expected.

Both Tom Turner, as the “pick up” John, and Adrian Harris as the lawyer, give engaging performances and work well together. 

Tom Turner relays the sensitivities of heterosexual men towards homosexuality extremely well and shows the breakdown of John’s toughness to reveal the hurt little boy inside who once, many years ago, set fire to a post box with consequences he now must face.

Director Shane Morgan has triumphed with these two skilfully-moulded but compact plays performed by a polished and professional cast.