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The Hokey Cokey Man at the New End Theatre |
Snapshots reveal what ‘hokey cokey’ man’s life was all about
THE HOKEY COKEY MAN
New End Theatre
WE'VE all put our “left leg in” and our “left leg out” but do we know how it all came about?
Writer Alan Balfour, grandson of Al Tabor, brings us The Hokey Cokey Man, a tribute to this long-forgotten bandleader and his more famous song.
The Hokey Cokey Man, directed by Ninon Jerome, is a fast-paced play documenting the life of a complex man, Al Tabor (James Doherty), in a series of slick flashbacks between past and present.
We are taken on a journey of Al’s life, his musical career, loves, personal losses and ultimate redemption.
As an overview, the play delivers, but the sheer extent of material means that nothing is truly developed and we never really get to know the characters.
A particular casualty of this is Al’s relationship with his wife Jenny (Anna Acton), who
plays the deserted spouse with a touching resignation.
While the love and chemistry between Al and his mistress Victoria (the beguiling Issy Van Randwyck) is poignantly portrayed, the interaction between husband and wife becomes increasingly glossed over.
James Doherty dominates the stage, giving Al’s charismatic persona an infectious charm tempered with moments of real coldness.
His love of music is clear and the brief scene showing how the “hokey cokey” came about is a stand-out moment in its liveliness.
Yet this is also skirted over and I was surprised by the relative lack of music throughout the show.
The Hokey Cokey Man is genuinely moving in places and a great snap shot of a colourful life; unfortunately, Balfour is so concerned about covering everything that he only skims the surface of this fascinating personality.
And that, as the song goes, is what it’s all about.
Until June 21
0870 033 2733
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