AN UNPREDICTABLE THEATRICAL DELIGHT AT SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE

A review by Jess H

Garry Starr, a once-disgraced actor ousted by the RSC, is on a mission to ‘save theatre’ by guiding his audience through the rich history of theatre genres. As a self-proclaimed theatre novice, I entered the Southwark Playhouse with an open mind, ready to absorb ‘everything,’ whatever that entailed, and left all expectations at the door. The award-winning Garry Starr Performs Everything will run until 23 December at Southwark Playhouse Borough.

What unfolded was a whirlwind crash course in theatre genres, brought to life with Starr’s unabashed creative flair, humour, wit, modern twists, and a surprising dose of full frontal nudity – not exactly what I was expecting on a Monday night.

It started exactly as it was meant to continue with Starr parading into the room, bright lights, and loud music. Clad in tight white leggings, he left little to the imagination as he thrust left, right and centre, beaming with a mischievous smile in search of unsuspecting victims from the audience. It’s a whirlwind from start to finish, at times finding myself wrapped in fits of nervous laughter as I try to figure out what’s next up his sleeve. One moment, we’re kept captivated by how many grapes Garry can catch in his mouth as the audience tests his mouth-eye coordination. Next, we’ve got audience members smacking each other with foam noodles as an ode to slapstick comedy. It’s silly and unexpected.

GARRY STARR PERFORMS EVERYTHING: A NIGHT OF THEATRICAL WHIMSY

His acts reel off, one silly adaptation of a genre after the next, each genre playfully introduced, inducing nervous excitement at the prospect of what’s to come. Starr has a keen eye for audience participation, making for some hilarious unforeseen interactions, in his take on David Pinter, drawing some comedy from the spoken stage queues, as if we were watching a practice scene. He continues to poke fun at the intricacies of performances under time constraints. From struggling to don gloves and recite a serious monologue in drawing room comedy to unsuccessfully attempting to remove clinging nipple tassels He tries, doesn’t succeed and moves on, that’s show business for you.

Moving from the drawing room comedy, he goes on to ballet prancing around the room now down to only a thong and some drawn-out views of his backside. Then, in a quick Shakespearean turn, he donned an Elizabethan ruff, ambitiously reciting a scene in just one minute while still sporting the stubborn nipple tassels. The audience erupted in lighthearted adoration and laughter, appreciating the blend of skill and comedic timing. Starr’s ability to knock out the seriousness out of every genre was evident in his modern rendition of Romeo and Juliet. Initially drawn into the tragic scene, the audience soon caught on to the familiar words spoken – the lyrics of a famous 90s/00s pop song.

The 60-minute performance was a total joy to watch, it’s expectedly unexpected, keeping you fully engaged as he takes you on this absurd journey of theatrical education and mockery.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo Credit: Jeromaia Detto (Close up headshot) Will Hamilton-Coates (Full shot)