Pocklington Arts Centre. Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
4****
After a successful tour in 2016, Manchester production company Box of Tricks, are touring again with Chip Shop Chips, performing in small local venues from community centres to village halls to libraries, not just your usual theatre settings.
Pocklington Arts Centre is only a couple of doors down from where I work, and a few hundred metres from where I live, so it was great to be given the opportunity to see this show. It was staged in their studio to a sold out audience. Pocklington is a small market town in East Yorkshire, about 15 miles away from York and has this fantastic small venue, with a big reputation that hosts some big names from music, to comedy, to theatre and is well supported by the local community and perfect for this show.
Eric (Jack Moran) after 40 years, has returned from a beach bar overseas to run the family business after the death of his father. It is relaunch night at Booth and Son’s Fish & Chip Shop, with the help of his assistant Lee (Mark Newsome) and the kitchen staff (who we never get to see) what could go wrong?
We the audience are the customers and whilst the fish and chip supper is being served (yes proper fish and chips from the local chippy, in this case Stuart’s), two latecomers turn up, grandmother Christine (Julie Edwards) and granddaughter Jasmine (Jessica Forrest) and despite all the tables being full Eric insists on finding space. What soon becomes clear is that there is history between the four of them. Eric and Christine were first loves, over 40 years ago, and Lee and Jasmine knew each other (sort of) from school.
What transpires is a break down of personas, to find that person underneath and a love story, of sorts. Christine, recently widowed, is not all-together as she wants us to believe, full of slap and a bottle of vodka, to give her courage in order to capture that feeling of excitement again. Jasmine just doesn’t want to be there and hides behind her confident, “Mean Girl” exterior, before we realise that she isn’t as heartless and slutty as she is trying to be. Lee is that boy that is always uncomfortable around people, the awkward one that you feel sorry for, that is never going to achieve anything, but he has his reasons for being like he is. Eric, does he really want to be there, why did he come back? He is dealing with his own demons and past, and refuses to acknowledge Christine, at first, as well as trying to cope with running his business.
All four actors were engaging to watch, in the confined “stage” but I thought Newsome was outstanding. Lee’s journey from hand wringing, awkward to the more confident young man who can get the girl, was so believable and endearing.
We had Northern “Sole”, a quiz, which got quite competitive, fishy stories from the audience, and there was even hat making competition, our effort was named chapeau de poisson (fish hat) which did get a small cheer, though didn’t win.
This is a show like no other, full of puns, humour, emotion, quizzes, crafting and all with the added bonus of fish and chips thrown in. A perfect night out!