Review: ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ and count...

Review: ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ and count...

©2012 Joan Marcus

From l., Oliver Chris, Tom Edden and James Corden in ‘One Man, Two Guvnors,’ a knockabout comedy

Can we keep James Corden in New York for good? The young British actor headlining the London import One Man, Two Guvnors at the Music Box is so mad talented, adorable and hilarious that you just want more of him. Hello, Actors Equity?

Writer Richard Bean based the show on C arlo Goldonis 1746 Venetian play, The Servant of Two Masters. He moved the action to 1960s Brighton, England, and came up with a combo of farce and classic comedy types, music-hall entertainment, pantomime and audience participation. Its a bit like The Carol Burnett Show meets I Love Lucy.

At the center of the tomfoolery is Corden, nimbly fast-talking, flim-flamming and pratfalling as the hapless, hungry, easily frazzled Francis Henshall, who becomes the gofer for not one, but two shady characters.

Before and during the play, a quartet called the Craze sets the mood with chipper songs by Grant Olding. The bands name is a cheeky nod to the Krays British brothers Reggie and Ronnie Kray gangsters who couldve inspired the curvy plot about a dead crook and his twin sis disguised in drag. Factor in goofy chases, star-crossed romances and countless zingers as when someone declares I need a clean shirt. I smell like a doctors finger and youve got yourself some fun. M ark Thompsons colorful costumes and kicky sets are clever complements.

Admittedly, the ears need time to adjust to some heavy accents and the story takes a good while to click into gear and hum. It does so precisely when Francis arrives. The side-splitting scene comes when Fran and Alfie, a wild-eyed, crazy-coifed waiter more jittery than a jackhammer, serve his guvnors (slang for boss) a seven-course meal. You have to applaud director Nicholas Hytner and Cal McCrystal, who headed up the physical antics. Theyre masters of comic detail big and small.

The cast comprises Brits reprising lead roles they played at Englands National Theatre and the West End and Americans in small parts. Oliver Chris is deliciously daft as one guv; a gender-bending Jemima Rooper is sharp and sexy as the other.

Also deserving shoutouts: Suzie Toase, who plays Francis frisky crush, Dolly; Daniel Rigby, in the role of a preening actor, and Tom Edden, a hysterical mix of Marty F eldman and Tim Conway as Alfie.

What One Man is all about, of course, is Francis. Cordens Broadway debut was a small role in The History Boys. Six years later, he announces himself a blazing star. Hail to the clown prince of this royal scream.