A Show That Keeps The Audience Laughing

Birmingham Fest continues throughout the city, as Taking Chances presented their contribution, The Morning After, at Blue Orange Theatre last night. The versatile and intimate space was ideal for this piece, written by Darren Haywood (also the director/organiser of Birmingham Fest).

Simple staging was used to evoke a 'heavy night before' and we were witnessing the unravelling of the morning after. The opening scene was superb, as Sam (played by Jacob Wright) and Niamh (played by Gabrielle Killick) wake up next to each other with no clue as to what has happened. Killick delivers a hilarious monologue about her weird Belgian dream, featuring Simon Cowell and Mary Berry, leaving the audience in fits of laughter. You are immediately immersed in her character.

Then there’s a twist, there is another woman in the bathroom. Echo has been sleeping in the bath and she seems to be the only person that knows what happened the night before. As the story is unpicked, hilarity ensues as we discover Niamh is a jilted bride, Echo is an escort and Sam is still confused. Kimesha Campbell’s Echo is a joy to watch. She is blunt, feisty and funny. Jacob Wright is a graduate of Birmingham School of Acting and he was excellent as Sam, matched with Gabrielle Killick’s emotionally unstable Niamh, there was so much to enjoy about this show.

The script was witty, with a great use of observational comedy and it is brilliant that Birmingham Fest is providing a platform to not only showcase this fantastic new work, but what a great opportunity for actors as well. This really was a show that kept the audience laughing and I really hope it goes on to be performed elsewhere.  

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