REVIEW | Nul Points!, Union Theatre
★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Becky
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Josh loves Eurovision. He knows every insane figure and fact. Ukraine entering a guy in a hamster wheel. Norway winning with an Olympic skater. The Russian grannies. The Brotherhood of Man. And each May he hosts a Eurovision party – the highlight of his year.
Nul Points is a comedy play written by Eurovision mega fan Martin Blackburn, directed by William Spencer and stars Adèle Anderson, Charlotte East, Marcus J Foreman, Sean Huddlestan & Kane Verrall.
Kane Verrall gave a fantastic performance in the lead role of Josh. He was a very convincing, over-the-top Eurovision fan who delivered his lines with fantastic wit and sarcasm. He could also give a very powerful performance when needed though, don’t let the stereotypical camp character deceive you.
Charlotte East was another standout me ever of the cast as the lovable best friend Kat. We go through the trials and tribulations of becoming a TV star with her and she makes this all very believable in the context of how hard it is to stay friends and remain true to yourself in the business. She did a brilliant job at delivering a dry modern sense of humour with a warm sense of heart.
The setting and set design were very apt to the theming of the show, everything was laid out in a very American sitcom vibe. I did honestly feel as if I was about to watch an episode of Friends before the play had even begun. We had the Europe flags, fairy lights, a drinks bar and a few hidden naughty objects to reflect the laidback comedic personalities of the characters, it all felt very cosy and real.
A few errors were made in the show with the dialogue and this did take the audience slightly away from the experience. But the characters were never broken by this so this reflects the professionalism of the cast.
The show is a great advocate as well for the LGBTQ+ community which is something I think is becoming more of a society norm and this is so important for this modern age. I always love seeing a sexually diverse atmosphere within a show, it always seems so much more refreshing.
There were a few cliches that did start to become slightly predictable in some scenes but the energy never fades and as an audience, we remain engrossed because of this.
All in all, Nul Points was a good time, I think maybe it didn’t need to be a 2-hour show as I said previously a few jokes did become cliche and recycled but for any fan of Eurovision this is a must-see. The innuendos and puns relating to the show were well-written and the cast was joyous to watch.
Nul Points is showing at The Union Theatre until the 20th of May. Book tickets here.