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Up 'N' Under Goes Above 'N' Beyond |
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Contributed by ALANA GRELYAK
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Tuesday, 11 September 2007 |
It isn’t everyday that Chicago gets to experience a live rugby match and it’s an even rarer treat to see live rugby that incorporates laughter, drama, and fake English accents. Circle Theatre of Forest Park is currently presenting the Chicago premiere of “Up ‘n’ Under,” directed by Rob Chambers with cast members Tim Frank, Shane Hill, Stephen Loch, Andrew Pond, Mira Vasiljevic, and Jeremy Young. While the cast is barely large enough to form a complete rugby team, they make up for with high energy and several extremely creative methods.
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“Up ‘n’ Under”
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 Entertainment
Art
Circle Theatre
7300 W Madison, Forest Park, IL
Friday & Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm from September 12 – October 21
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The premise here is about an ex-professional rugby player who makes a bet that he can train any rugby team to beat the current champions. He gets stuck with a lot of severely out of shape beer guzzlers that give it their all to make the cut while the coach waxes poetic about Rocky II. Sound cheesy? It should be, but that’s part of the charm. There are several scenes that might have come right out of an over-the-top 80s teen flick but the intention here seemed to be to take those moments and turn them into a hilarious overstatement. Whatever the intention, the end result was genius.
Throughout the play, there were moments where the cast would surprise the hell out of everyone. From the stock-still freezes of action to the slow motion montages, the cast nailed the timing, humor, and, in particular, the facial expressions. It’s here that Stephen Loch deserves a special mention. His antics throughout the play were nothing short of terrifically silly and his performance, at least on opening night, drew the most audience laughs. The lighting was artfully done and the costumes, particularly in the final game scene, were outstanding. At the start of the play, the English accents wavered a bit, somewhat distracting the audience from the realism of the play. However, as things progressed, the actors found their rhythm and it was nothing but excellent the rest of the way.
The highlight of the show is the final game, where the six actors manage to portray not only their home team but also the opposing team. The rugby ball was flying through the air and not once did anyone drop it. The team was so enthusiastic that each time they scored a goal, the audience was inclined to clap and shout with them. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that the audience gets a surprise “ending,” particularly those seated in the front row.
Overall, Up ‘n’ Under was an absolute treat to attend. It’ll have you laughing, cheering, and craving a beer. Cheers, lads! Brilliant! Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
