Steve Connolly is a Manchester-based actor, who, like many actors, had to supplement his acting income with a 'proper' job. In his case he worked for a council in a role not dissimilar to the one he portrays in this filmed series of short conversations. These interchanges are - we are led to believe - comedically altered versions of actual calls he received whilst in employment. He thought that said conversations were good material for further artistic development, and I am inclined to agree.
The first in this series is an 8-minute duologue between Steve Connolly (playing the 'man-on-the-other-end-of-the-phone') and Rebecca Clare-Evans playing the frustrated caller. The story, unsuprisingly, is about buses, and the fact that they are too noisy!
The dialogue is humorous but not ridiculously so (one does have the feeling that it is or could be a real call); however it is hampered by many unnecessary sentences, and would certainly have worked much better had the conversation been much snappier. Too much was made of the 'don't interrupt' joke, and personally I would have concocted a made-up town with made-up road names and council names etc; it sounded very strange to hear "name of local council" or "your local transport executive" rather than simply giving a (ficticious) name / title. Somehow there would have been more gravitas and authenticity in the conversation if this had happened.
That being said however, it is a good start. It is sensibly filmed and clear and understandable, with catchy opening titles and music, and has been professionally produced. This was essentially nothing more than a slightly extended sketch, and as such would benefit from editing and placing alongside a few others rather than giving them individual episodes.
Reviewer - Chris Benchley
on - 23.10.21
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