A tale of two best mates from a working-class background with a dream of a better life. That better life just so happens to be getting season tickets to Newcastle United at St. James's Park. Much like the theme of the play, the show has grown over the last few years from humble beginnings in the North East, and now finds its place on the West End at the Aldwych Theatre.
Gerry & Sewell, by Director Jamie Eastlake, is based on Jonathan Tulloch's acclaimed novel The Season Ticket, later adapted into the cult Geordie film Purely Belter.
This show pivots around Gerry, played by Dean Logan (Coronation Street, ITV), his family, and his friend Sewell, played by Jack Robertson (Where it Ends, BBC), and explores what life is like growing up in Gateshead.
The core narrative is that we live in a world of black and white: you either have or have not; you're posh or you're scum; you have hope or you don't. Gerry exclaims at the start of Act One ‘Do you ever get sick of being working class?'.
This blend between comedy and tragedy is what gives the show rhythm and flow. The mixture between crass jokes and angelic singing elevates it from being a pub show to West End-worthy.
Sewell carries the humour of the show through his love of food, his low IQ, and breaking the fourth wall, ‘thought you might be that Peruvian bear' as reference to Paddington down at the Savoy Theatre, or asking Gerry ‘Are you stuck in a freeze frame', and ‘he's not smelly, he's a puppet' in reference to the dog on stage. This comedy creates an accessible theatre experience.
As I overheard a guest in the theatre, this was only their fourth theatre trip, with previous visits being to see Panto and Rock of Ages. This show opens the door to newcomers and highlights that our art should be just as accessible as the political topics explored in the show, such as healthcare and career prospects.
The dialogue comes across naturally and authentically, as if the writer was having a conversation with his mate and jotted it down on a cigarette packet. For any southerners who see this show, I can confirm that Geordies do swear in every other sentence, so don't be surprised by how much is in the script. The show is rich with the local dialect, and having lived in the Toon for five years, it all made sense to me, but it may feel a bit like watching Shakespeare for others.
Yet, the biggest challenge won't be getting people to understand the dialogue, it will be to get Londoners enthusiastic about the forgotten North East. For this writer, I know what it's like on a match day, the dialect, the jokes, they all take me back to those halcyon days. But how do you capture that feeling? Eastlake pulls a blinder with a huge show-opening. There's flag waving, chanting, and audience involvement that transports you up to the North East.
The story is relatable no matter who you are or where you're from. What is a perfect family? What does a better life look like, and most importantly, what would make things just that little bit better?
The bond between characters Gerry and Sewell comes across sincerely and authentically. Logan is expressive as he explores his emotions on stage, whilst Robertson pivots from clown to caring (without becoming clichéd).
And so, when you go and see this show, enjoy the laughs, consider the deeper message of the show - that we all have stories worth sharing.
It runs until 24 January.
Review: James Dix Photos: Vox Fox Promotions