Not A Game For Boys - Library Theatre - 19/04/07 by David Adair

With the rise of the Laddette culture, attention has swayed away slightly from the laddism parade that enjoyed a proud prominence in the mid to late 90s. However, Simon Block’s piece is a stark, dry humoured insight into this facet of life and it is brought up to date with some subtle production touches, provided courtesy of Simon Pittman.

A one set structure is adopted; a leisure room, serving as the viewing area for the ping-pong games that painstakingly unfold throughout the performance. This approach relies upon the actors’ skill to keep the audience’s attention from wandering, rather than utilising a variety of extravagant backdrops that often serves the purpose of filling in for gaps in action or interest.

The opening exchanges between long-time friends, cabbies and team-mates Oscar (Stephen MacKenna) and Eric (Glyn Grain) provides dark humour, human insight and of course, male-bonding as they lament the loss of “Fat Eric”, who died during a game, giving his life for the cause of his ping-pong team. A decision was reached to finish the game. Much to the agreement of the tenacious and ultra-competitive captain Eric, whose forty five minutes a week provides the only salvation from his hen-pecked home-life and taking care of his senile mother.

Mackenna’s performance as the wise, mature and confirmed bachelor Oscar, is often the centre-point of the sharp wit. The entrance of the younger, philandering star player, Tony helps to draw out each character’s fallibilities and the entertainment picks up as they try, largely in vain, to deal with their issues.

Subtle, atmospheric lighting touches of Emma Chapman, slick, yet unspectacular production skills and authentic acting. All this combines to keep the audience fixated on the moment, attentively taking in each character’s globules of social commentary and insight. This ensures that the brutal and blunt climax creeps upon you like a taxi at a T-junction.

Not A Game For Boys matches the earthy wit, climbing drama and intrigue rating of other works of this ilk such as An Evening With Gary Lineker. However, the lack of sensationalism in tonight’s piece adds to the piercing poignancy of this foray into everyday life and escapism.