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The Review - THEATRE by BRIAN CAPLEN
Published: 19 November 2009

I Found my Horn

Comedy out of puff

I FOUND MY HORN
Hampstead Theatre

THIS play promises to deal with some big issues – middle-aged angst, a Proustian search for lost time, the dashed optimism of youth.
Only once, near the beginning, did the play fulfil its potential – to the apocalyptic and evocative sounds of Sibelius’ fifth symphony, the main and only character in this one-man show, breaks down in a state of pathos as he is confronted with how the dreams of his yoth have been smashed.
But after that it was all back to sitcom.
I Found My Horn is based on the book by arts journalist and author Jasper Rees about his experiences in picking up a French horn after 25 years of neglect. He sets himself the challenge of playing Mozart’s Horn Concerto in E flat K447 in front of the British Horn Society. The script is written by Rees and the actor playing him, Jonathan Guy Lewis (TV roles have included six months as Ian Bentley in Coronation Street), who sets about his acting task with huge energy and gusto.
The trials and tribulations of the horn project are indeed amusing – especially the comment by a fellow horn player on Rees’ ambitions: “The French horn Jasper: it takes bollocks of Sheffield steel to play that thing in public. What do you want to put yourself through that for?”
Guy Lewis has to tackle a wide range or roles and accents in building up the story of how Rees jacked in the horn after a disastrous performance dating back to his schooldays.
His imitation of the sarcastic music teacher is particularly effective.
But to use a musical analogy, this play is akin to Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. There is only one act and the more interesting stuff of divorce and teenage sexual yearnings, are largely skated over in favour of the less absorbing horn challenge. The result is musak rather than music.
Until November 28
020 7722 9310

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