Hits and Pieces, Cockpit Theatre Review

Written by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

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Matchstick Theatre Company have done it again and created a brilliant show, with lots as laughs as well as subtle messages. Toxic by Britney Spears is their latest offering, following the success of Spice Girls’ Wannabe and David Bowie’s Heroes. The beauty of Hits and Pieces is that we, as an audience, get to choose the next song! This is my kind of audience participation.

The first play is Tommy Crispino’s Tasty Lips, written by Mark Daniels, directed by Natasha Vasandani and starring Eoin John and Kahmal Sealey. This was heartwarming and funny in equal measure, with Eoin’s facial expressions stealing the show. Kahmal plays the cool boy in high school effortlessly, complimenting Eoin’s stereotypical geeky character. The two gelled so wonderfully, producing a lovely show about young love and coming to terms with sexuality. I thoroughly enjoyed Tommy Crispino’s Tasty Lips and, although a difficult choice, I would say it was my favourite performance of the evening.

I Can Taste the Crown From Here written by Emma Read, directed by Rebecca Hewett and performed by  Paisley Billings is a crowd-pleaser for sure. Already a seasoned theatre and TV star, Paisley knows how to entertain an audience from her dance moves and relatable quips about loving crisps. We really felt the emotion from Paisley’s Vanessa, as she discovered her namesake Vanessa Williams, spurring her onto the quest to be as ‘perfect’ as she is.  She hints at the stereotypical attitudes toward black women, with them often being described as ‘feisty’ and a ‘handful’, all while she fights for the Miss Great Britain crown. The crown is so close yet so far… in fact, maybe eating cheese balls would be more worthwhile.

After the short interval, we have I’m Addicted to You written and directed by Natasha Vasandani and performed by Jennifer Aries and Charlotte Bloomsbury. This play had a great premise, which I thought could have been explored on a deeper level given the themes of forbidden love and toxic having a lot of potential to really get your teeth into. I feel like it ended quite abruptly which was a shame as I really was enjoying it. Not to say it wasn’t an enjoyable play – remember, we are on a time limit to fit four plays into an evening – so maybe it could be a good basis for a longer show.

The evening ends with A Poison Paradise written by Annette Brook, directed by Mark Daniels and performed by Emma Read and Delilah Tahiri. This is a very energetic performance, with lots of movement using full use of the Cockpit Theatre space. We follow two thirty something interns, opposites in many ways but united in their disregard for the workplace and their attitudes towards women. This is a strong performance and a great end to the evening.

Hits and Pieces shows are a must see for any theatregoer. They’re fun, and energetic, take inspiration from our favourite pop classics and weave them into very entertaining, snappy short plays. The next performance is going to be taking inspiration from Bring Me To Life by Evanescence which I can truly hardly wait for! 

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆