Bouncers, Harrogate Theatre

TWO years ago director Hannah Chissick went to the top of the class with a reworking of John Godber's Teechers. Now she gives much the same breath of life to his earlier award-winning comedy, Bouncers. It's Friday night and everyone is out on the town for a good time. Stag and hen parties go clubbing for a night of dancing, drinking and chatting up the talent. Welcome to 90s urban nightlife. Outside Xanadu club four bouncers - Les, Ralph, Judd and Lucky Eric - are on guard at the entrance to the pleasure dome. The actors doing the bouncing are also called upon to play everyone else who crosses their path, both men on the pull and women eager to be pulled. Chissick's production is suitably loud and brash, played out against a disco background of classic 90s songs and culminating in an hilarious Abba tribute. Lighting, design and choreography are used brilliantly to conjure up time and place. The cast of four - Andy Brady, Grant Burgin, Pete Dunwell and Jonathan Magnanti - get to show off their versatility by switching from bouncers to drunken blokes to sexy girls and back to bouncers again faster than you can say Saturday Night Fever. Godber's observations about young people at play are wickedly observant and often extremely funny. This is a show that's rude, crude and not exactly high art. But Chissick's vastly entertaining, crowd-pleasing production ensures it's always great fun to watch.