I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to see when I arrived at the Rialto Theatre.
you almost forget you’re not in 1930s New York City, but actually in 21st century Brighton
The first of the two carefully chosen New York Stories tells the tale of an eating challenge between two of the greatest eaters in the US. Mr Nicely Nicely is the New York competitor who, only a month before the event, has been forced into a strict diet by his beautiful fiancée, who claims she will not consider marrying someone who is overweight. At this disastrous news, they put their efforts into a second competitor on the advice of Mr Nicely Nicely’s fiancée. The second competitor is a woman who, after much careful training, manages to outsmart her Boston rival.
The trio perform this story with charm and hilarity. The audience is immediately immersed in the tale to the point that you almost forget you’re not in 1930s New York City, but actually in 21st century Brighton.
The second story takes place in an abandoned house where Rudolph, a wanted man with a “slug in his side”, is hiding from the police. He is interrupted by a kitten with one eye, whom he names One-Eyed Johnny. I was especially impressed with Henderson’s performance in this second story. Their minimal use of props emphasised his exceptional talent for acting, although the trio complemented each other consistently throughout the production.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed by New York Stories. It is not often you have the pleasure of such excellent storytelling. It takes a lot to be able to turn tales which would have otherwise been mediocre, into a fantastic hour of theatre. I would highly recommend seeing New York Stories at their upcoming show in November.
