Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Owen Sharpe, Kevin Trainor.
People don’t just change when they appear in front of the cameras, they alter their own perception of who they are, what their purpose is in life, for some it can be the glare of the lights that brings out the worst in them, for others, it is the removal of the make up that takes the gloss and the shine of what they once thought was glamour and all that could be desired.
It is the same train of thought that sees an almost Jekyll and Hyde transformation when it comes to location filming, there is almost a sense of damage being opened up, a sore picked at which is not helped by the appearance of the crews and stars who don’t particularly grasp the local situation and who think that money can buy affection or loyalty. The five minutes in the presence of the name which will adorn the poster upon release is scant regard paid when all around them are just holding onto their own dreams, the Stones In His Pockets acting as a currency in which nobody will cash.
The art of the quick change in personality, of mannerism and speech is arguably the actor’s greatest weapon in persuading the audience that they can be regarded as a different person and yet for Owen Sharpe and Kevin Trainor, that rapid transformation is taken to a new level, a snap of the invisible finger highlighting the degrees of exchange required as both men skilfully set the seal on each character, from the Hollywood star believing in her own impassioned speeches regarding the town, the down on his luck former video store owner who has reached a state of happiness as he earns 40 pounds a day as an extra, the cynical returnee and the last extra alive to have worked on the film The Quiet Man, all are given solemnity and resounding comedy pathos by the pair on stage.
Tragedy and comedy often exchange masks, their own spirits interchangeable beasts and one that is truly captured with conviction and sheer delight in Marie Jones work of art. A sense of joy, of understanding why we have all become extras in our own story, Stones In His Pockets is entrancing from start to finish.
Ian D. Hall