St Patrick's Day. The perfect evening for some shenanigans, music, comedy and craic, along with an audience full of Irish -and Irish loving - people at the beautiful, Art Deco, Stockport Plaza. A pint of the black stuff to wash it down would have been lovely but the bar ran out before the interval. (True story).
Irish Annie's is a brand new musical play concept by Asa Murphy who fronts the onstage ceilidh band 'The Shenanigans'. The play is set inside Irish Annie's bar - a traditional Irish bar filled with warm welcomes, anecdotes, banter where you are either a 'mucker' or a [*insert rude word to rhyme*]. Annie is played with energy and glamour by the enthusiastic, crowd-rousing Catherine Rice who had great repartee and interaction with the audience - who were invited into the bar by dropping the fourth wall. She reminded me of Mrs Brown's Boys' Cathy in looks and mannerisms. She had great delivery and read the audience well. I thought she had good pace in her delivery and set up the entrances of the customers really well.
The customers: the headliner was Ricky Tomlinson, playing himself by telling us funny tales including his memory of meeting Caroline Aherne (Mrs Merton and his daughter Denise Royle in The Royle Family) which the audience lapped up as she was a Manchester treasure. Then, attempting some quiz night questions directly with the front rows which the audience delighted in beating him to the punchline and his hilarious rebukes in his inimitable style was worth the ticket price, alone. The other celebrity customer was Stockport local Jason Manford who had the crowd on their feet in applause with his rendition of the Irish folk song 'Carrickfergus' from his last album showing what a talented singer he really is along with being a very funny guy. He was warm and shared the stage generously with the rest of the cast despite being the audience's favourite. His story of being in a sauna with his mate as a young man with a sauna full of other naked men had us belly laughing for ages.
The customers: the headliner was Ricky Tomlinson, playing himself by telling us funny tales including his memory of meeting Caroline Aherne (Mrs Merton and his daughter Denise Royle in The Royle Family) which the audience lapped up as she was a Manchester treasure. Then, attempting some quiz night questions directly with the front rows which the audience delighted in beating him to the punchline and his hilarious rebukes in his inimitable style was worth the ticket price, alone. The other celebrity customer was Stockport local Jason Manford who had the crowd on their feet in applause with his rendition of the Irish folk song 'Carrickfergus' from his last album showing what a talented singer he really is along with being a very funny guy. He was warm and shared the stage generously with the rest of the cast despite being the audience's favourite. His story of being in a sauna with his mate as a young man with a sauna full of other naked men had us belly laughing for ages.
Other customers were the drunken Priest, Father Squiffy, Moira the Money Lender, and Porky the Postman, along with Sam Conlon the resident drunk and band leader/MD. Holding the whole evening together, the talented Asa Murphy as Seamus Murphy.
Reviewer - Kathryn Gorton
on - 17.3.23
There were plenty of Irish classics to join in with: When Irish Eyes are Smiling, Wild Rover et al and some others written just for the play by the composer ( Murphy).
What I struggled with; after thinking about it the next morning; after consuming the black stuff elsewhere, is that the content of the piece is quite flimsy and it is quite difficult to put flesh on the bones of some characters/customers and give them a real purpose to be in Annie's place. They money lender really stood out as a token villain and although there was a comedic element to the role she belonged more in a pantomime. That said though, we had a really great evening, joined in all the singing and laughed our heads off at Ricky and Jason's contributions. The Stockport Irish Community were out in force, dressed in their best green and orange finery and celebrating their culture on one of the best night outs of the year. Guiness optional.
I love Jason Manford ❤️❤️
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