Review: Too Young to Stay In, Too Old to Go Out (Rating 4/5)
Returning to the Fringe after his 2016 success Angel to Vampire, lyricist and story teller Nigel Osner turns his attention to the dilemma of reaching a certain age and not wanting to conform to the unwritten rules that go with it. The show is a celebration of age and the fact that it doesn’t kill desires, just possibly makes them slightly harder to achieve.
Through a series of characters ranging from an octogenarian seeking a new love and finding out they are not all they seem, to an elderly lady looking for a female companion to accompany her on a cruise and discovering that they perhaps have different ideas of what cruising should mean, Osner skilfully approaches his subject matter from a range of angles and from the perspective of both sexes.
The observations, delivered through songs and monologues are for the most part witty and erudite, capturing the foibles of human nature and showing how insecurity and self-belief continue to exist side by side and continue to lead us into absurd situations as the years go by. The phrase ‘you’re old enough to know better’ doesn’t figure in any of these characters’ lives and their lives are all the richer for it.
Alongside the humour there is also pathos, with Really There looking at how older people and people in wheelchairs can become invisible, and Another Show reflecting on Marlene Detreich’s inability to surrender to her age and give up performing no matter what state of decline her body had descended to.
This balances out a very well-rounded show that is thoughtful and reflective but never self-pitying. The characters may bemoan the effect of their advancing years, but they will not be easily defeated by them. There are echoes of Alan Bennett and earlier music hall and cabaret stylings throughout the show, updated to bring modern day situations to life, and it’s a show that perfectly captures the subject matter it is dealing with.
Sweet at Novotel, to 18 August (not 12)
Leave a Reply