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drinks Monday 1 September 08 Edinburgh Reunion in London
Topping And Butch Hit Leicester Square 26-27 September 08
Salesbears
Verdict: Teddies sell advertising
Salesbears! parodies the telesales industry, in particular the sellers and clients of advertising space in third-rate magazines. It's comedy, acted by Alun Maxwell who ventriloquises a quintet of on-stage teddy bears, and performs as their human tyrant manager, a female bear, waiter, and lap dancer. Action takes place in a call centre, and the Fresh Mid Hippo Club. It lasts an hour.
Polar bears were born to close (as in closing a deal), and Derek Fox is ruthless even by polar bear standards. Brown bear Colin Blockley's a wimp who's cursed with politeness. So he never closes - to Mrs Blockley's despair, when nasty David-Brent-type manager John 'JD' Duckfield strips Colin of his basic pay and puts him on commission only. Pandas, apparently, can't close, and Graham Schute's no exception. Brown bear Clive Knapp came to telesales from local government, so spends all his time asleep. Though he enjoys a night out with sexy lap-dancer Delorres (Alun Maxwell, fetching in fishnets), male-bonding reward for a month of adequate sales.
Salesbears! is a highly original spoof of an industry that many will know, either from working in it, or suffering at the receiving end. Alun Maxwell knows the industry well, and follows his fine acting appearances in NewsRevue May 02 and NewsRevue Dec 02 by creating this topical show.
Cast Credits (alpha order): Written & Performed by Alun Maxwell. Characters include: Bears: Derek Fox (Snowy - polar bear); Colin Blockley (Cuddles - brown bear); Graham Schute(Panda); Clive Knapp (Cutesie - brown bear); Anthony Trumpton-Smegge (Bruin - traditional brown bear). Action Characters: Jonathan 'JD' Duckfield, Mrs Blockley, Waiter, Delorres. Taped male voices by Alun Maxwell.
Company Credits: Bear modifications - Vanessa Baker. Costumes - Janet Hudson-Holt. Sound engineering & photography - Keith Banfield. Choreography - Kate Kitson. Publicity Artwork - David Maxwell. Telephones - Crystal Communications (Cobham). Thanks to: Sharon Banfield, Dee Hindin, Martin Lister, Hannah Maxwell, Tom Nolan, Welwyn Thalians, the telesales industry. Technical Manager - Merritt Horton. Producer - DialFun.
Credits - Venue: The Bridge House: Manager - Francesca Fanizzi. Canal Café Theatre: Technical Manager - Merritt Horton, Ross McGivern. Acting Artistic Director - Louis Brownhill. Artistic Director - Emma Taylor.
END
John Park
reviewed Friday 9 January 04 / Canal Café Theatre
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
