Bouncers
Bouncers by John Godber shows a night on the tiles from the point of view of the men on the door. It is a funny, energetic piece of highly theatrical storytelling where the men are at once themselves, and every character they happen to meet on a night at work at the nightclub.
In his introduction, the author writes: 'In many ways the content informed the form. The boredom of the men on the door spills over into grotesque violence and fantasy. The antics of the girls and boys out for a night on the town hardly need developing to make them dramatic. The conflict between those wanting a good time and those stopping a good time from being had is a basic dramatic premise . . . the central theme of Bouncers is universal: men after beer after women, and the beat goes on.'
John Godber has always sought inspiration from the people and places of Yorkshire and Humberside. Godber's plays have a strong sense of place, and are well known for their use of northern accents and dialect.
John Godber making notes in Hull'Bouncers', John Godber's most popular play, is set in and around a northern nightclub called Mr Cinders, with the action focusing on the exploits of the four doormen and their customers. The play creates a vivid picture of the relentless hedonism of northern night life with its raw energy, flashing disco lights, and raucous lads and lasses out on the town.
Most people think the play was written about Hull, partly because it has played in the city an amazing 17 times. In fact 'Bouncers' was originally inspired by Kiko's in Pontefract, a Polynesian style night club with fake palm trees. "It's a celebration of the fantastic Bacchanalian aspects of urban night life. Forget 'Look Back in Anger', let's get out there - let's get pissed up," says Godber. As it says in the opening of the play, "all human life is here" - it's "a midnight circus".
Bouncers is a high impact stylised view of today’s urban nightlife. A sharp, edgylook at what goes on “late at night in every town, when the pubs are shut and thebeers been downed”! This 30 minute adaptation of the play sees three actors playa both a group of door men working in a local club, and also a set of lads andlasses hell-bent on having a good night out. The play portrays the perspectives ofthree sets of characters on a Friday night out; using nothing but one beer barreland three handbags as props!
CHARACTERS
Lucky Eric The oldest of the three Bouncers. He is wise and has witnessed many things during his time as a Bouncer. He despises the whole nightlife culture.
Judd The youngest of the Bouncers. He loves the nightlife and the sense of power in his job. The sooner he can get in to a fight the better. He loves to wind Eric up.
Les A good looking guy, handy in a fight. Gets a lot of attention from the ladies.
Ralph
The Lads Kev, Terry and Baz are three lads desperate for a good night out. They have made their compulsory trip to the barbers they’re wearing their new gear and are determined to “pick something up”.
The Girls Rosie, Maureen and Elaine are three girls who are gorgeous man magnets (Well they think they are!) They are all out for Rosie’s 21st Birthday bash; determined to paint the town red with their new shoes and hair ‘dos’.
Bouncers
THEATRICAL STYLE
Bouncers uses a minimal set and relies on the versatility and skill of its actors. Thestyle of the show has been strongly influenced by expressionism so subsequentlythe acting style is heightened and is very physical. The play uses images, mimeand tableaux as well as dialogue and scripting.
The performance style is neither naturalistic or realistic (although audiences can often recognise or relate to characters on stage), and the physicality of theactors is paramount in Bouncers.
Character exaggeration and use of direct address in performance suggests
an inherent theatricality and awareness of itself as a theatrical piece;
“We four will try to illustrate
the sort of things that happen late
at night in every town
when the pubs are shut
and the beers been downed”
The poetry of this line as well as the mime used in its delivery, instantly grabs
audience attention, and is just one example of how Bouncers has an awareness
of itself and its expectations.
Lucky Eric’s speeches are soliloquies (direct to the audience). Direct address is a theatrical convention often used by playwrights such as Shakespeare and Brechtamong others. It reinforces to an audience that they are watching a play rather thanreality.
Direct address shatters illusion and creates an intimacy with anaudience, connecting them with the inner commentary of a character.
The production makes comments on some of the lines of the characters (‘Social comment’), reinforcing the audience position as audience, and defying thetheatrical convention of a ‘fourth wall’.
The shows’ success relies on the actor’s comic timing and their ability to switch from character to character whilst communicating the physicality of each.
It demands versatility and fitness, along with a good imagination and the abilityto characterise.