Show: Council Depot Blues
Format: Musical
Genre: Comedy
Date: March 20 2018
Location: Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool
Dave Kirby’s wildly-popular Council Depot Blues is currently enjoying its latest fruitful run at Liverpool‘s Royal Court Theatre. It tells a believable, familiar and hilarious tale of several council-employed house cleaners. Their team is the Liverpool City Council Excrement Eradication Department. And they come together to work – well, work, is an exaggeration, as they get very little done – while considering their futures in life, both in terms of their employment and beyond.
Council Depot Blues
Synopsis Of Council Depot Blues
Stan (Phil Hearne) doesn’t have anything to worry about, it seems; today is his final day before retiring after 42 years of service. Harry (Paul Broughton) is hoping to move up rather than move on, as he is hoping for a promotion from his current role as a foreman. Danny (Andrew Schofield), Fitzy (Jake Abraham) and Jo Jo (Roy Brandon), whose references and desires for sexual activity are pretty blatant, play together in a local band, and they play their music throughout the show as a way to break up the working day.
Danny in particular vows to get out of the dead-end job himself, with Fitzy holding similar wishes. Norman (Howard Grey) is middle-class (he’s from Formby, after all; his words, not mine), and is a little more acceptive of his current situation. As for Shorty (James Nelson-Joyce), he is your “proper scally, lad”, using the Scouse slang to the extreme, all the while boasting about sex and drugs and his desires for a successful life in Ibiza (his incredibly lazy nature makes this a pipe dream at best).
Counting Down
So, it’s a typical day for the depot workers, besides Stan who is counting down his final hours of employment. However, when browsing a former teacher’s abandoned house, Danny and Fitzy discover a priceless guitar which is potentially worth £150,000. They concoct a plan to take the guitar and make life-changing money from it. Problem is, Harry has already found it and knows its value, so it becomes an ongoing battle to escape with the guitar.
During this time, Fitzy hatches a secret plan with Shorty to make the profit themselves, while Danny finds himself entering a sweet deal with Norman, so long as he receives a comparatively tiny amount of money. Jo Jo ends up finding out himself, and it becomes not only a case of “will they get away with it” but also “which cast members will benefit the most”? Ironically, only Stan is left out of the loop, and it becomes clear that he isn’t 100% satisfied that his employment is about to come to an end, despite claiming every day that he hates the place.
Analysis Of Council Depot Blues
This show tells a basic, easy-to-follow story with a lot of laughs. There is a plethora of swear words and risqué comments, so it’s not for the young ‘uns. But the older attendees receive a reliable company of familiar actors. And they are also talented musicians, creating some catchy, funny tunes along the way. Andrew Schofield is as funny as ever, but there are choice lines delivered by everyone at various points. Furthermore, James Nelson-Joyce is hilarious as Shorty. His lines are delivered perfectly, emulating the scally who will hang out by your local offy. And his facial expressions and mannerisms are spot-on.
Elsewhere, the settings are fairly minimal but very effective. And the spinning stage for scene changes is very nice. This is a play that could travel outside of the city. But the local cast makes Liverpool the ideal place to see this story. The dialogue is authentic, which helped to create and portray the desired atmosphere that many in the audience will be able to relate to. Lindzi Germain makes occasional appearances, though somewhat infrequently. And the show runs a little bit long, considering that the first half lasts just under an hour.
Summary Of Council Depot Blues
On the whole, though, Council Depot Blues is a very enjoyable and entertaining night out. I would definitely recommend you go along to see it. And it’s the sort of show that will have you coming away with a smile on your face.
