Twice Nightly – Royal Court Studio Liverpool

‘We do it twice nightly, it’s exhausting quite frankly.’ With a name like Twice Nightly, this was a show that needed to live up to the double entendre suggested from the title and it sure didn’t let us down!

Showing us Liverpool’s variety theatre scene in 1931, Don and Madge, a comedy song and dance double act are loving their lives, until things suddenly take a drastic turn. They need to remember, and alcohol fueled evening to allow them to get to the theatre in time for their second show of the night, but that is proving more difficult than it sounds. Will they make it in time?

Written by and starring Michael Alan Bailey and Maria Lovelady as Don and Madge, it is clear that these two really get on, as the best friend energy coming from the characters is obviously evident. They’ve written a show that shows how much they love their city and the theatre with a nod to the vaudeville era. They have great comedic timing and work well as a duo. They were joined by Roy Carruthers as The Great Wally (and others) and whilst he was to be seen as the ‘mature’ adult figure, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing up to the foolish and fun side of his role. There’s not much to say about Joe Pasquale as the voice of the Beak, as you get what you expect from him, comedic timing, one-liners and laughs. The genuine laughter, however, seemed to be in response to the three actors on the stage, which is a testament to their writing and acting skills!

The original songs were funny, poignant and gave you something to think about. The show-stopping finale number is definitely something that will stay with you for a long time to come. All I will say is that the spirit of Liverpool is in me.

It would be interesting to see what these guys could do with more budget for a bigger set, as it heavily relied on your imagination to take you to each of the places mentioned in the show. A bigger budget for more set pieces could elevate this piece to the highest level. Again, it is a testament to their acting and storytelling, that it was easy enough to imagine each of the locations with the set pieces they had available to them.

The show has a lot of heart, leaves you feeling good having laughed for the majority of the hour and half you’re in their presence. It was a disappointment to see that the turnout wasn’t as good as you’d hope, as the team has clearly put their hearts and souls into making this production. They deserve as much recognition as they can get and fully deserved the cheers and applause from the crowd.

Reviewer: Jenn McKean

Reviewed: 27th April 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★