GARRET THEATRE, STORYHOUSE, CHESTER – UNTIL TUESDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2026
REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN
5*****
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I took my seat for A Brief Case of Crazy tonight. What I do know is that I was absolutely blown away — and by the end, I really didn’t want it to finish!
Created by Skedaddle Theatre and Shoddy Theatre, in association with York Theatre Royal, this award-winning romantic physical comedy — winner of an Offie in 2026 — arrived in Chester as the final stop on its UK tour. And what a way to finish!
Rowan Armit-Brewster plays Thomas, an introverted office worker who has a rather obvious crush on his shy colleague, Daisy. His quiet quest for love is soon thrown into complete chaos when a very troublesome briefcase enters his life — and things become even more complicated thanks to his arrogant and completely self-absorbed boss, Simon. Rowan was absolutely hilarious. His facial expressions and body language had the audience in bits. He could communicate an entire conversation with one look, and his comic timing was brilliant. Then, just when you thought he couldn’t possibly get any funnier, he would break into dance — and then the tap shoes came out! Yes, Thomas tap danced! It was completely unexpected and absolutely fabulous. Rowan was a joy to watch from beginning to end.
Lennie Longworth as Daisy was just as funny, bringing a wonderful warmth and physicality to the role. Her dancing was brilliant, and she had fantastic chemistry with Rowan. Their blossoming romance was sweet, funny and wonderfully unconventional. Watching their relationship develop entirely through movement was a real testament to just how expressive these performers are.
And then there was Sam Cunningham as Simon, the boss you absolutely wouldn’t want to work for! Sam was brilliant. His facial expressions alone could have had their own comedy show. The perfectly timed winks at the audience, the pointing finger and those knowing looks made him incredibly funny. He seemed to have a secret little conversation going on with the audience throughout, and we were very much in on the joke. His arrogant, larger-than-life attitude made him the perfect foil to Thomas’s quiet awkwardness.
There are no spoken words at all, yet the story is completely clear. Through mime, clowning, puppetry, slick choreography and physical comedy, every glance, gesture and movement tells us exactly what we need to know. The influences of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mr Bean and Tom and Jerry are clear, but this production has a personality and charm all of its own.
One of my favourite little moments of the evening was noticing an elderly lady sitting in front of me. Every now and again, I caught her getting particularly excited by what was happening on stage, with her facial expressions perfectly mirroring the action. She was clearly completely engrossed in the show, and seeing her reactions made me smile. It was such a lovely reminder of how wonderfully this production connected with its audience — young and old alike. Honestly, seeing her having such a brilliant time was an unexpected little treat!
Funny, inventive, charming and gloriously bonkers, A Brief Case of Crazy was pure joy. I absolutely loved it!