Billy Chickens is a Psychopath Superstar

Company: Theatre 503

Director: Lisa Cagnacci

Venue: Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Suffolk

An adapted version of this review first appeared on the Whatsonstage website

 

Simon Rhodes as Billy Chickens

Billy Chickens isn’t one of life’s endearing characters. Misogynist, competitive eater, boxer, now he’s finally found his niche in life as a famous double-murderer. Recently released from prison, he‘s now the darling of both media and public. In saying that it’s impossible not to feel a touch of sympathy for Billy.

His has been a chaotic childhood, surrounded by a mother with loose morals and a violent, distant father, wetting himself in class regularly due to his stammer and taunted by any number of school bullies – not least of whom is the grating Tommy Weasles (Paul Stocker). 

Simon Rhodes is magnificent as Billy, all swagger and neo-fascist bigotry. Despite a few first night technical issues with a mic pack, Rhodes carried on regardless and brought Billy’s story to life with a gruff yet beautiful eloquence. 

Lisa Cagnacci’s slick direction excels and her 10-person cast is clearly in expert hands. Actors slip into multiple characters with ease and, without reflecting on their palpable personal skills, a great part of this has to be credited to Cagnacci’s mastery of her art.

 

Billy Chickens is a Psychopath Superstar obviously has a life beyond the Latitude festival at which it first appears. According to producer Flavia Fraser-Cannon, the company has no plans as yet to tour the show but theatre of this quality deserves to have a wider audience outside the festival circuit.

PAUL COUCH