Picasso At The Lapin Agile

Oh what a delightful sight greeted us all as we took our seats. Richard Hampton's cozy set,  transported us to the Lapin Agile, Paris 1904, Montmartre's iconic cabaret bar. 

The atmosphere was wonderfully relaxed as Freddy (Darren Barrott), Germaine (Kate Leckey), and Gaston (Glyn Morrow) all exchanged good-natured banter. Theatre @ 41 is a wonderful venue for putting on 'Fringe' theatre, and YSCP is to be commended for taking a chance on an unknown play, inspired by director Natalie Roe’s enthusiasm for presenting Steve Martin’s hilarious absurdist comedy in York. Like many others, I didn’t realise that Steve Martin—an American stand-up comic, actor, screenwriter, and banjo player—is also a playwright, with YSCP bringing his play gloriously to life.

Glyn nearly stole the show at times with his quick quips and observations, and he made those many trips to pee into an art form!

True to Steve Martin’s style, you never quite knew what to expect, and that was all part of the play’s charm. Mark Simmonds gave an outstanding performance as Albert Einstein, and who could forget that manic laugh? James Lee, perfectly cast as Pablo Picasso, alternated between being sensual and persuasive, especially in scenes with Suzanne (Helen Clarke), the next frustrated, struggling artist.

It turned out that when the two soon-to-be legends met up, with egos as big as their intellects, the fur really started to fly. The duel 'draw' was inspired, with excellent use of apt music to set the scene. The message of art and science being equals came over loud and clear.

The highlight of the play, for me, was when events took a surreal turn and a certain blue suede shoe-wearing singer from the future made a most dramatic entrance to great fanfare. I just loved his cool costume too, designed by Carly Brown. By this time, you accepted that anything was possible in this play! Being a lifelong Elvis fan, Ay Raper excelled in his role as The Visitor; he made his character believable, resisting the temptation to portray him as a caricature, while also hinting at Elvis's vulnerability.

The cast brought alive the energetic creativity and zaniness of their characters and thoroughly deserved the enthusiastic applause when the play ended as they gave a toast to the future.

Picasso At The Lapin Agile Theatre@41, York, until Saturday 2nd November 2024