2 Stars

**

Mark Brailsford’s solo performance play portraying Sam, a Sussex County Cricket Club fanatic is heavy on facts but light on humour. The story follows Sam during the summer of 2003. Sussex, for over a century have been county cricket minnows but in this year they are making a strong challenge to win the County Championship. His wife’s pregnancy is the other event in his life at this time.

Leading the way towards success is Mushy, Mushtaq Ahmed, a highly successful Pakistani leg spin bowler. As the summer proceeds, Sam is prepared to spend hugely following his heroes all around the country using his credit card. Mixed in with the progress of Sussex during the 2003 season, there are made up clips of film projected on to screen to highlight the great players of old.

As far as cricket is concerned, people can be easily divided into two – cricket lovers and cricket loathers. Being a former cricketer, I am in the former category. There is one characteristic about cricket lovers. They are fascinated by statistics. Therefore, I did find the factual content of the show interesting on a personal level but it will have little meaning or appeal to those who have no interest in the game. Some of the characterisations do become repetitive and the humour will not be widely intelligible.

Reviewed by Ben

Venue; Venue Number                  Hill Street Theatre; V41

Dates  remaining                              22, 26 – 29 August 2010

Times                                                 21.00 to 21.50

Fringe Programme Page Number: 273