It is not easy to transpose a television comedy onto the stage. Unseen Theatre Company have taken on the challenge with the staging of “Men Behaving Badly”.
There is much to like about this production. Set in the intimate annex of the Bakehouse Theatre, the audience is forgiven for feeling part of the living room depiction.
The first episode deals with the weighty issue of whether bridge officers of Star Trek really do swivel around in their chairs when no one is looking. This episode makes the better transition to the stage.
While Adam Morgan in the role of Gary and Steve Weyland in the role of Tony, do not exactly behave “badly”, they do present their simple characters with fine comic timing. Frequent chuckles punctuate the evening. Nothing inappropriate, just plenty of good honest laughs.
The ladies contribute on a different scale. Not as a result of any limitation in their stage talent, but rather due to the bias of a male dominated script.
The second of the 2 episodes does not work as well. Excessively bitty presentation results in a loss of pace and focus.
On balance this experimental transition has worked well for director Robert Andrews. It is certainly worth extending with another production, however choice of episodes should be made with care.
