The Peaceful Hour 2 at Royal Court Liverpool Review
Written by Roby for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
It’s a nice day for a… Scouse Wedding. And tonight was also a nice night to watch ‘The Peaceful Hour 2’ at the Royal Court. Last year’s ‘The Peaceful Hour’ was so successful that it’s been given a sequel in this year’s Royal Court season. It’s packed with Scouse humour and makes for a great night out.
Set in the 80s, the show follows the events of the night before Ange (Angela Simms) and Carl’s (Lenny Wood) wedding. Whilst of course hilarious and brilliantly bonkers, it also has some lovely poignant moments about the value of love and how money isn’t everything.
The theming of the show is great - the set and costume design (Christopher McCourt) complement the era well and the pre-show 80s playlist encourages a great atmosphere. The show was so well received by the audience - with many people around me in fits of laughter and numerous giving it a standing ovation. It’s a great night out, especially if you’re of that era, and the pre-show dining is the cherry on top of the cake allowing for a full experience.
The cast work tirelessly throughout the show, delving in to aspects of physical, witty and Scouse comedy. Julie Glover (who plays Edna) is brilliant; she is a proper Scouse housewife and has the audience in stitches. Nathan McMullen (Frankie) is also a scene stealer, especially in his first appearance at the end of Act 1. It’s Lenny Wood (Carl), however, whose performance is engraved most in my memory. He is simply hilarious - and his monologue about fish is worth the ticket price alone.
Ellie Clayton (Julie) and George Turner (Tim) are also great performers, who have real chemistry. Their vocal performances are also lovely - their voices complement each other well and they tackle harmonies with ease.
Gerry Linford’s writing and Emma Bird’s direction are both great. At times, some jokes don’t land with all generations of the audience, and sometimes, if comedy moments don’t land, they can instead feel cringe. This happens very little, however. All the directorial details are great - I particularly loved the wedding album at the end of the show. I also love that you can watch the sequel even if you missed the original. I unfortunately did but still loved the show just as much.
The Peaceful Hour 2 is like a Scouse sitcom live onstage; it’s generally well-paced, and the audience laughs so much it almost sounds like there’s a laugh track being played. It’s an extremely enjoyable night out of Scouse culture and humour, and is definitely worth a watch during these gloomy rainy nights.
Plays until 7 March
★★★★
