Review: Rain, Rubik’s Cubes and Rapper’s Delight - a lively night with Bouncers

The evening began before audience members even reached their seats, with the four “men in black” already in character outside Studio 2, greeting theatregoers like authentic doormen on a grim night. Inside, the intimate studio space - dressed only with clever lighting, beer barrels and decorative Rubik’s cubes - proved the perfect minimalist backdrop for a show that thrives on physicality, imagination and sheer comic energy.

What followed was a fast, tightly choreographed sprint through 1980s club culture, fuelled by a soundtrack of Frankie, Human League and Depeche Mode. David Wright (Lucky Eric), Derek Willis (Les), Tom Scott (Judd) and Ben Christie (Ralph) handled over 20 sharply observed characters with ease, slipping from swaggering lads to giggly girls to late-night regulars with split-second precision. Their comic caricatures landed without ever losing the grit beneath the laughter, and the ensemble’s ability to pivot seamlessly between roles kept the pace breathless. Highlights included a brilliantly delivered Rapper’s Delight sequence and a gleefully ghoulish Thriller routine - both executed with tight, disciplined choreography that won appreciation from the audience.

Beyond the fun, the production never lost sight of Godber’s sharp observations about the gender politics and meat-market rituals of a night on the tiles. The four actors anchored the chaos with strong interaction and a clear respect for the script’s wit and social bite. In honouring Shropshire Drama Company’s long-held ambition to stage challenging and engaging theatre, this Bouncers was as entertaining as it was skilful - an exhilarating reminder of how a small cast, a bare stage and a shared pulse of 80s nostalgia can create a thoroughly memorable night out, even when the storm outside is doing its best to dampen the mood.

Why not give the gift of tickets this Christmas? There’s so much to choose from at ticketsource.co.uk/edgeartscentre