One Man. Two Guv'nors. Plowright Theatre, Scunthorpe. 15 September 2026.

This week sees the opening of Richard Bean's hugely celebrated comedy, One Man, Two Guv'nors at the Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe produced by the Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club and directed by Becky Spiegl-Watson. It is the bold, broad comedy that cast James Corden in the role of Francis Henshall, took the West End and Broadway by storm and made Corden an international star. It's nostalgic feel (it is set in 1963) and the fourth wall breaking comedy made it an instant hit with audiences, and I see no reason why this should not continue with Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club's production this week.

It is a comedy that needs to move along at a rapid pace or it fails and audiences will become aware of the flimsiness of some of Bean's material, which often relies heavily on suspension of disbelief and the personality of the performers delivering his lines and their mastery of physical comedy. Spiegl-Watson's production does everything in it's power to ensure that the pace is maintained throughout both acts of the play. The cast work exceptionally hard, but nobody works harder than the team who move sets in and out so quickly without the benefits of automated systems of professional theatres. I made a mental note to mention the set changes, as it is quite challenging to shift seamlessly from one location to another but the crew, assisted by the cast themselves, do a tremendous job ad will get even slicker as the run continues.

The play revolves around the aforementioned Francis Henshall and is set in the seedy criminal world of London in the early 1960s. Yet the action begins at a party thrown by Charlie "The Duck" Clench who is celebrating the engagement of his daughter Pauline to wannabe Thespian Alan Dangle. We learn that Pauline had been promised to feared criminal Roscoe Crabbe whose sudden, recent demise left her available to marry for love and not for the benefit of her family. However, "Roscoe" returns from the dead in teh form of his twin sister Rachel who poses as Roscoe to gain a payday that will allow her and her lover Stanley (who actually killed Roscoe) to escape to a new life overseas. I won't go into more detail at this point, of there will be no point in attending the show.

As Francis, Ross Cryer starts off slowly and builds his performance steadily throughout the play. I would have liked to see more vulnerability initially in his portrayal of the always confused protagonist as he makes his entrance, and then the growing frustration as his quest for haddock, chips and mushy peas progresses would see more logical. The famous fight scene where Francis is arguing with himself is played out fully though, and Cryer throws himself manfully into it. When Francis inadvertently becomes employed by two guv'nors the chaos builds. Cryer also builds his performance steadily and comes into its own in Act Two and his growing confusion is played out manfully through some very witty, quickfire dialogue in the dining rooms with some genuinely funny scenes.

It really is a showcase for any actor playing Francis, in the same way Corden made the role his own, Cryer does so too. Several cast members switch roles swiftly and portray other characters effectively, boosting the number of characters who appear on stage (especially Ian Moss who demonstrates great flexibility). Robin Poole gives us a strong, untrustworthy, father figure Charlie Clench, often trying to weasel his way out of awkward situations and looking to avoid wasting money. Clench views his daughter Pauline as a means of making an alliance providing long-term benefits. As Pauline, Chloe Blackwell gives Pauline a naive innocence that is oblivious to the machinations occurring around her, and a sweetness of soul that believes in marriage for love.

Grace Hall portrays Alan Dangle as the lovestruck would-be actor, with lofty dreams and a scant grip on reality. He is a man prepared to fight and even kill for his love. Hall gives Alan a ramrod straight back, a square jaw and a stiff upper lip and makes the most of those moments on stage that present Alan in all his pomposity. As Harry Dangle, Ian Moss is well cast. Harry , Alan's father, is a successful lawyer who wants the best for his son and is more than happy to form an alliance with Poole's shady Clench.

As Lloyd Boateng, Chad Lyon is a central player whose loyalty to Charlie and his fatherly relationship with Rachel is severely tested, but he comes through with aplomb. Giving Boateng a strong Black Country accent works well for the character. Amber Marwood plays Dolly, Charlie's accounts handler and would be romantic interest for Francis. Again, Dolly is a character that really comes into her own as the show progresses. Marwood plays the part with a impish quality that knows Francis is a chancer - but at least she thinks he is sweet.

As Rachel, Roscoe's dead twin, Amy McKenzie presents a hard-nosed gangster type that is hard on the outside with a soft centre. Rachel wants to start life anew on the other side of the world and the only way to do that is to exploit her twin's notoriety to gain sufficient funds to allow her and her lover Stanley Strubbers to escape together. McKenzie clearly enjoys the role and gives Rachel a toughness and authority. As Stanley, Matt Smith gives a comic performance of note playing up Strubbers' idiosyncratic posy boy background to great effect.

And finally, there is Alfie, an octogenarian waiter who struggles with life and is persistently put upon by all around him. The role calls for extremely good physical comedy and Matt Jackson absolutely throws himself into it as Alfie is bumped, beaten and bruised incessantly and audiences will find it hysterical. The show ends rather unexpectedly with a song which worked better in the original production as that had featured a live skiffle band on stage throughout the evening, which was perhaps lacking here, but would have been hard to pull off. So the silliness and excessive stretching of the imagination and the boundaries of believability require just one more step as the night draws to a close.

Audiences will be delighted and charmed by this production that runs from 16 - 19 September. As the publicity says, "If you haven't got your tickets yet now is the perfect time to book. Will Francis manage to keep his two bosses from finding out about each other? More importantly, will he get his FISH, CHIPS AND MUSHY PEAS?!" Find out for yourselves from tonight!

Andy Evans 16 September 2026.