Bouncers

Originally premiered in Edinburgh nearly 30 years ago, this John Godber comedy addresses the broad issue of Britain’s binge drinking culture by narrowing its gaze on a single tawdry night.

A sparse plot sees two groups of drinkers—one solely male, the other solely female—hit the town. The eponymous bouncers provide commentary and musings on those who enter their closely-guarded nightclub realm. Four tuxedoed actors, who give uniformly excellent performances, play a multitude of roles; quickly skipping from giggly inebriated girls and leery blasted boys, to the sober security men of the Mr Cinder's Nightclub.

Many of the funniest moments come when the cast throw themselves into choreographed dance routines as the sozzled clubbers take to the dancefloor.

Only a single character, bouncer Lucky Eddie, provides any real pathos; with four soliloquies which are touching and revealing. Unfortunately these are quickly swept aside to get on with the boozy fun – making them all but meaningless.

This production updates the original script with mentions of Total Wipeout and Chris Evans, while Lady Gaga and The Black Eyed Peas pump out of the nightclub speakers. It’s a fairly paper-thin effort at being contemporary, though. The gruff northern club DJ seems resolutely stuck in the '80s, while there’s no mention of the smoking ban or illegal drugs – both subjects any modern doorman would certainly have thoughts on.

It’s a wasted opportunity as the theme is as relevant as ever. Like the night out it presents, Bouncers stands accused of being fun but meaningless.