Surfing Tommies
By Alan M. Kent
Bish Bash Bosh Productions
The Lowry, 17 June 2011
At the end of this performance, the actors received a standing ovation – and it was wholly deserved.
The play covered an awful lot of ground, being about Cornwall, surfing, the first world war, tin mining, heroism, bereavement, forgiveness, shellshock, the vagaries of history… and a few other things as well. It tickled the heart and tugged at the funny bone.
Perhaps another thing to emphasise is how hard these players worked. As a for instance, the sole actress took on about five or six roles by my reckoning. They earned their ovation.
Surfing Tommies is a sprawling, substantial work that is by turns entertaining, educational and uplifting. Do not miss it! It’s touring the UK until the end of July and a whole kitbag of tour dates can be found here.
