Review | Rise and Fall at Southsea Cinema and Arts Centre: “A fantastically entertaining evening”

John-Paul McCrohon as Tony Galento, and Peter McCrohon as Pauly in Two Ton Tony, written by Peter.

Rise and Fall brings us the premiere of two very different plays by two well-known local writers.

In the first half, Roger Goldsmith’s Falling introduces us to two strangers, Ben and Ella. After one of them confronts an unhappy relationship and the other suffers a breakup, they chance to meet while trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Goldsmith creates a powerful ‘play for voices’ with a clever structure, entrancing rhythm and remarkable writing which is both lyrical and real. The characterisation is quite beautiful and reveals two very broken, human and relatable protagonists who immediately win our support.

Acting by Aaron Holdaway and Francesca McCrohon is superb. They capture their characters’ fragility perfectly, and the authentic and moving performances often had me laughing and wincing at the same time. However, by the finish I felt uplifted by the message that, while life is often too messy to give us the happy endings we would wish for, there is hope for us even amid the darkest of days.

The second half brought Two Ton Tony by Peter McCrohon, with the writer and his brother John-Paul acting alongside each other. It tells the fascinating story of 1930s American boxer Tony Galento.

Despite being short, overweight and enjoying his booze more than his training, this plucky underdog reaches unexpected heights in a world championship fight. Along the way, he acts with Marlon Brando and fights an octopus, among other things.

From the opening words, McCrohon delivers an immersive and engaging piece of theatre. He takes on a wild ride with a genre-busting production that includes song, stand-up comedy and improvisation in the mix. It’s a riot, and it all rather befits Tony’s colourful personality.

A gritty picture of the American Dream, Tony’s life convinces us that even the most ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things with the right attitude.

These two very different styles of theatre complemented each other to create a fantastically entertaining evening which highlights the diversity of our local talent.

It’s encouraging to see theatre professionals collaborating in this way, which is good for both our local creative community and its audiences. The event also confirms Southsea Cinema’s place as a first-rate venue for local theatre. More, please!

Until Sunday, December 3 at southseacinema.co.uk.