Marina Theatre, Lowestoft
Kissing Sid James by Robert Farquhar has got its funny moments - but it was a long way from being the hilarious romp promised.
The action takes place in a shabby seaside resort over a wet weekend. Eddie (Damian Williams) is an aspiring stationery salesman who lives with his mother. He has a flash car and a moustache he thinks is the next best thing to sliced bread.
Crystal (Glenda McKay)- Emmerdale's Rachel Hughes - is a croupier whose fantasies about Sean Connery have become an obsession.
Somehow, these two have got together and arrange to spend a rainy weekend together in a seaside hotel, hoping for a spark of romance.
The reference to Sid James in the title is not entirely clear and anyone expecting the 'naughty' innuendoes associated with Sid will be disappointed because the script is much more adult.
Damian Williams is an excellent actor and comedian with a wonderful array of facial expressions and body language to fill out any comedy script. His Eddie was wonderfully portrayed with unexpected pathos.
Glenda McKay's Crystal was a perfect foil for the bumbling, bombastic and insecure Eddie. One line in the play summed up the characters - it came right at the end when Eddie says: “We are both lonely, we both need someone.”
Sadly, although the actors did their best, the script did not live up to expectations.
t Kissing Sid James continues at the Marina Theatre until Friday March 12. Box office: 01502 533200.
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