LOCAL theatre-goers will be hard-pressed to find a modern drama that's better than the production of Frank and Percy currently on tour to Bath’s Theatre Royal.
What more could you ask for than a legend of stage, screen and radio, Sir Ian McKellen, starring alongside his theatrical friend Roger Allam, as the odd couple in this two-hander?
They are both appearing in the world premiere production of Ben Weatherill's Frank and Percy as it tours exclusively to Bath this summer.
The two old friends, three-time Olivier Award winner and television favourite, Roger Allam, and one of our greatest stage and screen actors, Ian McKellen, appeared together in a recent pantomime Aladdin.
They have re-united with director Sean Mathias, for this poignant and witty new drama about a blossoming odd-couple relationship between two dog walkers, Frank, a former history teacher from Pontefract, and Percy, a sociology professor from Whitby who has just published his latest book.
In this new play, written during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, talented playwright Ben Weatherill lets us overhear Frank and Percy as they discuss the weather, their dogs, each other and so much more, as their friendship blossoms into romance.
Percy has separated from his long-time partner Denis and his only companion is his much-loved Labrador Bruno, while Frank’s wife, Alice, has died from a brain tumour, leaving him alone with just his Spaniel Toffee for company.
All we hear of the dogs is offstage barking and yelps, as the two men take to meeting up daily to walk their pets on The Heath.
Over the course of two and a half hours, Frank and Percy explores the fragility and joy of relationships, friendship, lust and love, particularly between the same sex.
Only ten minutes in, Percy cracks a joke about deep-throating a cucumber so you can tell it’s not going to be a boring night out.
Produced by Bill Kenwright, Frank and Percy visits the Theatre Royal Bath direct from an opening season at the Theatre Royal Windsor, and my what a treat it turned out to be.
I found it an absolute joy and a pleasure to watch two talented actors performing at the top of their game and drawing out every ounce of humour and pathos from the script.
The action all takes place on Morgan Large’s revolving wooden set, which rotates so that its steps and levels can transform into a woodland setting, the seats in a tea shop, the shopfloor of M&S, an NHS waiting room, or the interior of Percy’s home.
The backdrop is dominated by images of trees on the heath until Nick Richings’ lighting design transforms the space into a karaoke bar or a hospital waiting room.
There are some wonderfully funny scenes, in which the two dress up in rainbow costumes while preparing for an LGBTQ+ Pride march, after Frank has ‘come out’ as a gay, while Percy is an old campaigner for these events.
The production is not entirely flawless, some scenes go on too long and meander into contentious topics such as climate change, no platforming and the cancel culture, before returning to the relationship between the two men.
What you do get is genuinely funny, heartfelt and shows that desire is not just felt by young people, it can continue past middle age.
There appeared to be almost a full house, which indicates that the production is currently a ‘hot ticket’ and one not to be missed while it is in Bath. I can highly recommend it.
Frank and Percy appears at the Theatre Royal Bath to Saturday, August. To book tickets contact the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk
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