REVIEW: NAUGHTY at The Hen & Chickens Theatre 27 Sept – 2 Oct 2022

‘a tale told simply, that makes its emotional beats hit home … effortlessly revelatory’ ★★★★

Andrew Houghton is a very confident performer. Andrew Houghton has a story to tell about sexuality, shyness, woeful self-image. He tells the story in the persona of a weedy, nervous, naif young man called Andrew, who is terribly dependent on the opinions of the only adults in his life who are comfortable with his homosexuality, who happen to be drama teachers.

It’s fun watching an actor this accomplished portray his own spotty youth, together with a bunch of significant figures in the boy’s story – his mother, his first love, his poisonous drama teacher. There is also spectacularly good voice-work from Chris Sherwood, playing Kevin, the drama teacher who morphs from confidante and advisor into creepy groomer. The shading Chris Sherwood brings to the words is affecting and praiseworthy.

This is a tale told simply, that makes its emotional beats hit home, that utilises simple staging and seamlessly integrated tech really well, that adds up to an effortlessly revelatory hour of theatre.

NAUGHTY

at The Hen and Chickens Theatre and on tour to the King's Arms in Salford, and The Other Room in Cardiff



Produced by Pink Milk Theatre

Keep in touch with the company on twitter:  @PinkMilkTheatre

Reviewer:

Chris Lilly read Drama at Hull University in the 70s, stage-managed a bit, spent 8 years as a community arts worker in Tower Hamlets, did the occasional tech job, then taught in East London and participated in shedloads of community theatre. Since retiring from teaching, he has acquired an MA in 'Theatre' from the University of Surrey and indulged a passion for live performance anywhere in London courtesy of his Freedom Pass.