Mojo

Despite struggling with the first 5 minutes to grasp what was being said Mojo was a brilliant production, funny, gritty and hard hitting.  While the play itself has its merits the cast stole the show! It would be hard to pick one actor who stood out, as they were all brilliant.  I harbour a certain amount of love for Ben Whishaw ever since the dreamy 'Bright Star' in which he plays Keats during his love affair with Fanny Brawne up until his untimely death as well as the, sadly unrecognised, brilliance of 'The Hour', and have to admit this was my main motivation for seeing the play.  I sadly missed out on tickets to see Ben in ‘Peter and Alice’ so this was my chance, (I sound slightly like a crazed fan, it’s just admiration – honest).  He didn’t disappoint, from his opening scene in which he cockily struts onto the stage, quiff and all, singing, to the shock end of the play as we see his character slowly lose his mind.  Another stand out cast member for me was Brendan Coyle, or as he was probably known to most of the audience Bates, however you soon forgot about the brooding servant as Brendans character becomes a threatening gang leader, with a dark secret.

The play is set in 1950s Soho, a dark and mysterious place where gang warfare was dominant and the sleaze factor high! Set in a club, the first act in the upper offices and the second in the club space, the play depicts the relationships between the men through comedy and tragedy.  Much of the ‘banter’ between the men was not dissimilar from what you witness at London Bridge past midnight on a Friday night, or indeed anywhere where male friends are drinking, taking drugs and picking fights with each other, although hopefully they do not all involve a sword!  While quite dark there were some truly hilarious moments, including Sweets (the guy who sorts the “sweets”) trying to throw up but shouting “I’ve got no sick, I’ve got no sick”. There were moments you found yourself laughing when in actual fact the events taking place were no laughing matter or times when other members of the audience were hysterically laughing and you could not see the funny side in such a dark situation, which I suppose is the point of a black comedy.

I can’t say this play will stay with me in the way that some plays I’ve seen recently will, perhaps it was the fact that I could not, on any level, relate to the characters or the plot.  However the cast are tremendous! Rupert Grint makes his professional stage debut in Mojo, and the great chemistry between him and Daniel Mays, reminiscent of the kind of on screen chemistry Laurel and Hardy do so well, shows that this will certainly not be his last stage success.  Mojo is worth seeing alone for stars of the stage and screen working together with such professionalism and talent that you feel privileged to witness it, and I have to say my admiration for Ben Whishaw has not faded in the least.

My favourite moment from 'Bright Star' - Ben at his best in my opinion!