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Acclaimed writer Fred Lawless continues his run of fine form at The Royal Court Theatre with another fantastic festive production; the hilarious and original "Nightmare on Lime Street".
It's 2012 in Liverpool and Dr Frankenstein and his bumbling assistant Egor have awoken from a 200 year sleep after an incident with some badly made egg nog. In a secret dungeon underneath Lime Street station the Doctor (Mark Moraghan) is intent on wreaking revenge on the city of Liverpool with his new monster. It's down to hapless Paranormal investigator Tommy Hughes (Michael Starke) and his daughter Julie (Jamie Hampson) to save their city from the clutches of the evil Doctor.
Filled with flawless musical numbers and impeccable comic performances, 'Nightmare On Lime Street' is a monster mash up of the classic horror genre and some Scouse humour. There's almost a slight pantomime element to the show with audience interaction and delightfully camp characters but the seamless choreography and stunning vocal performances ensure that the production is on another level.
With David Gest unable to perform his star cameo as The Monster due to illness it was down to Anthony Watson to bring Dr Frankstien's creation to life. Playing the monster as an eccentric American tourist with a resemblance to Gest was an inspired move by the production and writers and ensured laughter filled the stalls every time the slightly camp monster graced the stage with his presence.
It's hard to single out just one performer from this talented troupe; each actor delivers note worthy performances and the chemistry between the characters is evident. Jamie Hampson, the daughter of Michael Starke and Lynn Francis, seems to be following in her parents talented footsteps and is clearly a rising star in the theatre world with powerful vocals and shrewd comic timing.
With the sound of laughter rarely quietening from the audience it's clear that the only nightmare to be had is if you miss this wonderful production.
9/10
Liverpool Royal Court Theatre
Writer: Fred Lawless
Director: Ken Alexander
Cast: Michael Starke, Mark Moraghan, Lindzi Germain, Lynn Francis, Jamie Hampson, Lenny Wood
Running Time: 120 minutes including interval.
