September 1, 2008
This adaptation of Carl Hiaasen's 1998 bestseller takes place in the tacky neon surroundings of South Florida. The plot revolves around a joint lottery win and the behaviour of the very different victors. Upon realising that they will have to share their lottery win, two rednecks - Bode and Chub - attempt to reclaim the full amount from 'plucky', honest Jolayne. Assault, murder, kidnapping and general chaos ensues.
The key themes in the plot are greed and race, yet attempts at insights into the human condition and America's fractured race relations are desperately, and inappropriately, heavy-handed. The plot itself is overwrought, overpopulated and needlessly convoluted - especially given its relatively simple subject matter. Some of the more established cast members, notably Geff Francis (once seen on our screens kicking it with Pork Pie in the C4 sitcom Desmond's) and Corey Johnson (The Bourne Ultimatum), struggle admirably amongst the play's myriad flaws. However several of the performances amongst the ensemble cast - such as that of the lead actress Nicola Alexis (Jolayne) - are lacking, and disbelief had to be suspended all too frequently at some frankly awful American accents. This is a troupe in need of a vocal coach if ever I saw one.
The play is supposed to be a comedy, yet the jokes are hackneyed and sparse and the slapstick elements and impromptu musical numbers intermittently made my skin crawl and frequently left the audience cold. Taking this into account it makes the play's attempts to lampoon a supposedly culturally and morally vacuous part of the world seem thoroughly lacking in credibility, given the play's own lack of sophistication (which is in no way camp or ironic).
In sum, Lucky You is a novel that neither requires nor suits adaptation to the stage, and as such Matthew Francis' and Denis Calandra's adaptation seems at best unnecessary - and at worst it makes for an occasionally uncomfortable theatregoing experience.
The key themes in the plot are greed and race, yet attempts at insights into the human condition and America's fractured race relations are desperately, and inappropriately, heavy-handed. The plot itself is overwrought, overpopulated and needlessly convoluted - especially given its relatively simple subject matter. Some of the more established cast members, notably Geff Francis (once seen on our screens kicking it with Pork Pie in the C4 sitcom Desmond's) and Corey Johnson (The Bourne Ultimatum), struggle admirably amongst the play's myriad flaws. However several of the performances amongst the ensemble cast - such as that of the lead actress Nicola Alexis (Jolayne) - are lacking, and disbelief had to be suspended all too frequently at some frankly awful American accents. This is a troupe in need of a vocal coach if ever I saw one.
The play is supposed to be a comedy, yet the jokes are hackneyed and sparse and the slapstick elements and impromptu musical numbers intermittently made my skin crawl and frequently left the audience cold. Taking this into account it makes the play's attempts to lampoon a supposedly culturally and morally vacuous part of the world seem thoroughly lacking in credibility, given the play's own lack of sophistication (which is in no way camp or ironic).
In sum, Lucky You is a novel that neither requires nor suits adaptation to the stage, and as such Matthew Francis' and Denis Calandra's adaptation seems at best unnecessary - and at worst it makes for an occasionally uncomfortable theatregoing experience.