Shakers
Shakers tells the story of a typical day/night at a Liverpool-based cocktail bar titled – yes! – Shakers. It stars Alice Bunker-Whitney, Danielle McLauren, Isobel Balchin and Jennifer Vaudrey, it is written by John Godber and Jane Thornton, it is produced by RTB Productions, and it is directed by Margaret Connell.
Synopsis
As noted, Shakers is set within Liverpool city centre, and it covers the daily lives of four girls: Adele (Alice), Carol (Danielle), Mel (Isobel) and Nicky (Jennifer). All four have varying characteristics: Adele is quite timid albeit outspoken when required, Carol is mostly well-intentioned but believes she is capable of much more, Mel has the habit of speaking down to others and explaining why potentially good ideas won’t work, and Nicky is more care-free and able to let bygones be bygones. Each waitress also has their own moment to communicate directly to the audience: Adele is a single mother who is doing everything she can to get by, Carol is a University graduate who is desperate to find a more respectable job, Mel is very much work-focused but is also hiding her true beliefs regarding her personal life, and Nicky is about to reveal to the girls that she has been accepted as a dancer on a cruise, though she questions her capability and confidence.
In the meantime, all four actresses play a plethora of different characters; some are specifically-named, while others play up common (and amusing) stereotypes. These range from Lucy and her friends, who are heading to Cocktails for her 21st birthday bash, to the typical chauvinistic “hard men” hoping to get lucky with a few dodgy chat-up lines, to a group of posh sorts who believe they are exempt from using manners and above the typical members of society (one such comment was that “I heard the National Health Service still exists!”). The focus is almost entirely on providing laughs, so each secondary character is hammed up to a strong extent, though the real storytelling (and occasional emotion) comes from the four waitresses, who all have their own reasons to dislike their line of work (ranging from future ambitions to avoiding the pitfalls of dealing with drunk customers), but who all nevertheless try to put a smile on their faces as they aim to please those who don’t truly value their commitments.
Analysis
To me, this show acted as the female equivalent to Bouncers (also written by Godber and Thornton), which was held at the Royal Court Theatre a few years ago, as there are some similar traits with regards to an entire night being charted through multiple personas. However, the core messages were very much different: while the common pitfalls of life as a cocktail bar waitress were oftentimes a source of mirth, it was more significant to get an insight into how each employee’s life was so different. In some cases, the contributing factors that have led to their present circumstances seemed unfair, and in other cases, the answers would be staring at them in the mirror. Either way, it was fun to realise how these four women, of a similar age and a seemingly-similar mindset, could be so different in their personalities, but the Shakers team has brought them all together to coexist as one. And while there were occasional moments of friction (especially between Mel and Adele), one sensed that they could still bond together as one when required.
That being said, the show is more memorable for the laughs, and there were plenty to be had. In particular, the inevitable and hilarious disaster that was Lucy’s 21st birthday bash, starting with buying clothes and getting hair and nails done during the day to the inebriated state that led Lucy herself to cry her eyes out because the guy she fancied is with another woman, progressed as the night went on, culminating in an evening that promised so much yet delivered so little, a common experience shared by those of a similar age. I was impressed by both the acting performances and the versatility of all four performers, because it surely cannot be easy to channel a half-dozen people of wide-ranging mannerisms and accents. It also helped that each of the core characters were relatable and could be sympathised with on numerous occasions. And then there is the wider message that the show sends out; namely, that cocktail bar waitresses are all too often taken for granted at best, and viewed as potential objects of sex appeal at worst. It’s the biggest cultural stereotype of all that the show emphasises, albeit one that will hopefully become less prevalent as time goes on.
Summary
Shakers was an entertaining contribution to the Liverpool Theatre Festival, and it’s a show that I think would definitely garner strong audiences at more established theatres in the future (incidentally a large crowd overcame the rainy conditions to enjoy this production at the open-air Bombed Out Church). It’s also a production that may leave attendees walking away with something to think about, which is always a good thing.
