There is a legendary club, it is said, made up of a number of celebrities who have passed away at the age of 27; it includes the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and most recently Amy Winehouse.
Taking this as the basis for a story and mixing it with one man’s fixation to join the aforementioned club, Patrick Seymour performs a one man play which not only asks the question what is the impact of dying to join these deceased greats, alongside exploring the life of Mark, who wants nothing more than to love and be loved in return.
The script can be a little clunky in places and the extended voice-overs of a telephone answering machine do linger a bit too long in blackouts. Despite this, what really makes the production shine is Seymour’s performance which, whilst being understated, is completely engrossing as he inhabits Mark completely and invests him with a wry sense of humour alongside a deep emotional side which is vulnerable to heart-break like the rest of us. He is truly watchable with his striking eyes that really make a connection with the audience.
The production, whilst having a Club 27 theme, actually looks more closely at the human psyche and how it responds to rejection. The play has a neat double switch ending which brings it to a sobering and fitting conclusion. If the show were trimmed a little, especially in those long lingering moments in the darkness, it would add a greater sense of pace which would allow the show to flow better. Technically the show has a clever use of sharp lighting changes which really add a sense of real drama to proceedings.
The show is worthy of a full house purely on the performance of Patrick Seymour who shows exactly what acting in a one-man play is all about. Truly captivating.
