“Genuine laughter and perfectly tailored chaos mixed with a lesson on an old Hollywood conspiracy”
Shepard Tone’s ‘Director’s Cut’, which just finished its run at Southwark Playhouse Borough as part of the FORGE Festival, is an hour of genuine laughter and perfectly tailored chaos, mixed with a lesson on an old Hollywood conspiracy. The festival performances were the culmination of a year’s residency at Southwark Playhouse as part of the FORGE artist development scheme. The show takes on the legend of the infamous ‘Alan Smithee’ (a pseudonym used by dissatisfied directors wishing to disown the final product of their film), and creates a fake, but fairly convincing story out of it, giving life to a man who never existed.
Tim Chapman and Hannah Follows are a wonderful, warm and exciting duo, carrying the show with great focus and spot-on comedic timing, and capturing the audience from the very start. They explain Alan Smithee’s lore through a series of short comedic skits that are absolutely engaging and funny; it is no surprise that the audience couldn’t hold a single giggle in. From movie reviews to audience work to the use of a projector, the show is jam-packed with creativity, humor, and fun facts about film and Hollywood’s great director scheme. And while the show is mainly light-hearted, it doesn’t shy away from darker instances and the negative connotations of the pseudonym’s usage, so its humorous and chaotic nature doesn’t become tiring at all.
No deep Hollywood knowledge or interest is required; everything is explained and followed easily and you find yourself almost fully convinced that Alan Smithee was real, and even rooting for him. Chapman and Follows have found an absolutely amusing and creative way of unfolding quite frankly a random Hollywood fact, one that is genuinely very interesting, and accurately represent the average experience of going down a rabbit hole. The audience immersion throughout the entire show is so naturally and enjoyably done, and the writing and humor is brilliant, guaranteed to make you exit the theater having had a great laugh.
Simple, hilarious, informative and intriguing, Director’s Cut tackles the mystery of Alan Smithee and leaves the audience with a big smile. Well crafted even though it’s still in its experimental stage, it is a promising show and a guaranteed good time. A special treat for film lovers definitely, yet certainly entertaining for anyone and everyone.