Rita Sue and Bob Too! – Epstein Theatre

This comedy-drama production is based on the British film, ‘Rita, Sue and Bob Too’ which burst onto screens in 1987, adapted by Andrea Dunbar based on two of her stage plays, ‘Rita, Sue and Bob Too’ (1982) and ‘The Arbour’ (1980); the play was first performed with the strapline, ‘Thatcher’s Britain with her knickers down’.

Set in Bradford, it tells the story of two teenage schoolgirls, Rita and Sue, who embark on a sexual threesome with a married man; the girls, both from working-class backgrounds, live on a deprived council estate and are finishing their final year at school.  To earn money, they babysit for married couple Bob and his wife, Michelle who live in a modern house on an executive development on the wealthy side of town.  Without his wife knowing, Bob enjoys sex with both girls who take it in turns with him in his car in the countryside; Bob begins to wonder if he is taking advantage of the girls but they enjoy their sexy romps and use them to escape their troubled family lives which involve alcoholism and welfare dependence. Bob’s marriage is falling apart, and Michelle ultimately finds out about his escapades and leaves her philanderer husband, taking their children. Bob later develops a preference for Rita and because of Sue’s jealousy the two girls fall out but later the trio are reunited.

This production stars Michael Parr (Emmerdale TV series) playing the role of Bob, joined by comedienne, Crissy Rock (Benidorm TV series) as Mother and Jamie Greer as Dad along with Jessica Ellis (Hollyoaks TV series) as Michelle, Jenna Sian O’Hara as Sue and Kay Nicholson as Rita. The show is directed by Chantelle Nolan and produced by Chantelle Nolan and Jane Joseph.

It is a production of ten short acts depicting various scenes, the first one being the girls with Bob in his clapped-out car in the countryside. Publicity for the show states it is an Adults Only play and to be prepared for strong language and graphic content.  This first act sets the scene with Bob’s bare buttocks being on display. Strong language is used throughout and those not familiar with the film may be offended.

Unfortunately, the themes depicted in the show are showing their age as opinions of underage sex, misogyny, domestic violence, alcoholism and social class differences have changed somewhat since the 1980’s. The show is billed as a comedy and it should be funny but regrettably it is very sad and sometimes rather difficult to watch, the scenarios at times being rather too close to reality to digest.  The script asks us to like the girls and pity them, to find them funny and to find their lives comical but in fact the girls appear desperate and pathetic and, on a road, to nowhere.

The staging involves a shift of scenery for each act and the auditorium is in darkness as this is carried out; this is coupled with overly bright spotlights centred on the audience from the front of the stage and overly loud music playing before the next act begins. There is a lot of shouting in the production and hard-core profanity which becomes tedious at times coupled with graphic vulgarities which are included for shock value. Some of the more comical sequences are rather exaggerated and at times don’t really prove successful such as the role of Michelle, Bob’s wife, who wasn’t depicted in a comical manner in the film; because of this, this production loses some of the story’s credibility.

The show ends with a rousing chorus from the cast of ‘We’re Having a Gang Bang,’ the song from the film, with audience members invited to join in and Michael Parr (Bob) offering his opinion on today’s Tory government.

This social comedy doesn’t quite hit the mark but there will be an audience who will appreciate it for its crude humour and over-exaggerated attempts of lifelike comedy such as those portrayed by Chrissie Rock as Mother and Jamie Greer as Dad in their scenes depicting drunkenness and deficient parenting.

Playing until the 19th February 2023, https://www.epsteintheatre.co.uk/

Reviewer: Anne Pritchard

Reviewed: 13th February 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★