The Angriest Video Store Clerk in the World

I donÂ’t usually write reviews, but after attending the opening night of The Angriest Video Store Clerk in the World, I was inspired to do so. I came away very impressed and pleasantly surprised with Vagabond TheatreÂ’s latest offering. Overall it was a slick and very humorous piece of theatre. The Audio Visuals were cleverly used to cover scene changes and were all professionally produced by Simon Oxwell (not to mention, they were very funny!). Technically, the play went very smoothly (thanks to Production Manager, Jo Marsh) and the set and props took advantage of the showÂ’s comic book origins.
Grant WatsonÂ’s script (based on his cult comic book series) was both humorous and clever and his direction seemed tight and imaginative. IÂ’d like to see Grant try his hand at some more directing in the near future as I was very impressed with this his first (correct me if IÂ’m wrong) effort.
Patrick Spicer was fabulous as the Video Store Clerk. Nobody could be as “angry” as Patrick! His acting style could be seen as totally OTT (over the top) but somehow he gets away with it – brilliantly. This young man has star quality especially in the arena of comedy. I have never seen an actor with quite as much energy or focus as Patrick.
From what I was told afterwards, the rest of the cast have had very little acting experience, therefore making their efforts very commendable indeed. (I just love the way Vagabond gives untried performers a go – there should be more of it).
Romi Gordon gave solid performances in her various roles (I especially loved her as the silent daughter). She has a lot of talent, however, she has a tendency to speak a little too quickly making some of her lines sound a bit garbled.
Michael Lamont was hilarious in his three roles (especially as Ed the gay group therapy leader). I think this young man, with a bit more experience, will have a great future as a performer.
I found Holly Matakiewicz quite engaging although she seemed to sometimes be at a loss about what to do onstage when she found herself having long periods with no dialogue. I went to congratulate her on her wonderful American accent after the show, only to find out it is her natural one!
Simon Oxwell gave a convincing performance and he especially should be congratulated as this was his very first time on stage. I think I saw him drop character a couple of times but I really liked his portrayal of the nervous Dave.
The highlight of the show was the slo-mo Kung Fu fight using stage crew and slinkies for hilarious effect (I canÂ’t explain it, youÂ’ll have to see it yourself).
I only have a couple of criticisms: Although I loved the use of the puppets (being an old puppeteer myself), it was difficult to hear what they were saying from behind the screen. More projection, articulation and slowing down of the dialogue would overcome this problem. The only other point was the song: I was at first shocked by the totally off-key singing until it became so bad it was funny. Then I realized (duh) that it was probably deliberate.
If you want a good laugh and to see a real “go” at the big Hollywood Studios (a subject giving me grief at the moment as some of you know) – I thoroughly recommend The Angriest Video Store Clerk at the Blue Room Studio until Sat. week (9.30pm). And at $5/$10 a ticket you can’t go wrong.