Just Club
Hull Takeover, Hull Truck Theatre, 13th July
Charmingly English and beautifully poetic, the heartfelt production of Standing too close on our own in the dark turns a night at the theatre into a shared experience at the pub with friends. Lead actor, Hull-based Jack Chamberlain, woos the audience with his awkwardly endearing British nature, yet his quick wit and ability to involve the room is to be applauded. This could be explored more, but the venue is partly to blame there - It’s theatre that falls under the relatively new rubric of ‘gig theatre’ and in my opinion, the show is much more suited to a music venue than a theatre space. It is, after all, written as though it’s a piece of stand up - a bit of music, mixed with a bit of comedy, but the company work with what they’ve got and, to hand it to them, they virtually sell the place out!
The last time I watched this show, the cast was different, the story took different turns, and it was in a very different venue. The music, however, has stayed a constant paragon of beautifully dictated melodies and emotive lyrics. The perfect way to example their branding of ‘happy-sad’ theatre, ‘inspired by the comfort in being sad’. Reminiscent of northern legend Alex Turner’s Submarine album, the songs, accompanied by guitar, keys and cajon keep in the naturalistic style of the show, while managing to fill the space. There’s no jumping in and out of songs that don’t feel like they should be there, they’re always anticipated and add to the collection of prose and poetry presented throughout the hour. Standing too close on our own in the dark (also the title of one of the songs) does ‘happy-sad’ with charm. It’s a story about love, essentially, encompassing aspects of anxiety and depression that get in the way of thoughts and relationships, explored through poetic, existential prose - it’s relatable. It’s nostalgic, painful, warming, romantic and tear-jerking. You leave the room slightly more aware of the beauty in life than you did before you went in. That’s the great thing about this show - it’s real, maybe sugar-coated a little, but who wouldn’t want their life immortalised with such artistically written words? Hull university drama graduates Jake Marsden, Jamie Nowell and Matthew Collins - Just Club - have created a piece of theatre straight from the mind of every person who has ever felt anything and succeeded.
If you missed the show, or fancy watching it again, Just Club are taking it up to the Edinburg Fringe on the 19th July at 10.35pm at The Roundabout at Summerhall as one of the companies involved with Hull Takeover.
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