Yahoo News Review of Guts The Musical at Hull Truck - a hilarious homage to Hull's 'pattie slappers'
Billed as "Made in Dagenham meets Barbie", Guts! The Musical is a fresh and funny production based on the struggle of Hull's women fish packers to get equal pay.
Written by Hull playwright Maureen Lennon and directed by Tom Saunders, it's feminist in a feel-good way with a diverse crowd of performers all local to Hull and East Yorkshire. It had me 'hooked' from the first scene as fishermen solemnly sing a shanty about the harshness of life on the open waves.
The play often breaks the fourth wall, with great comedic effect, while still managing to immerse the audience in a world that feels very real, in part thanks to the wonderful performances by its key stars.
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A highlight for me was a wonderful song delivered by Jayne Oliver who plays Eileen, a fish packer who laments her loss of status after the men returned from the Second World War. She has a beautiful contralto voice and the song sent shivers down my spine.
I also really enjoyed Fred Weeks as the earnest union rep Keith Whiting - he is a convincing good guy and the perfect foil to the musical's main antagonist Frank Fish, who in turn is performed with 1980s pizzazz by Andrew Clark.
One of the most delightful character arcs was that of Gina Garton's Shirley, who goes from a bit of a wallflower to having several brilliant scene-stealing moments that I can't bear to spoil for anyone who has yet to watch the show.
I also loved Laura Grey as Denise - a young fish packer with a bit of a gob who has glamorous dreams for her life. Although this is chiefly a musical about women's rights, the male supporting stars were brilliant.
David Wilberforce as Barrister Simon Shark had to audience howling with laughter with his snooty lawyer antics and his outrageous costume was undoubtedly the funniest, rivaled only by Denise's fashion faux pas. Similarly, Craig Smith was amazing as the petty, vindictive 'Larry' who torments the women on the packing floor.
If you've yet to buy tickets I've got good news for you - there are still a handful of seats left for Saturday's matinee and evening show. Don't miss it! Visit Hull Truck to book.
