Review – Charles Barrington: One Character or Less

Charles Barrington, actor, theatre rouseabout, connoisseur of conserves, and playmate of the rich and famous, takes an hour of his precious time to bestow some insights into this life less ordinary. Hilarity mounts as his tales of bravery, fame and hobbies grow increasingly more ludicrous.

Character Charles Barrington rose to fame in 2009 making it to the finals of Raw Comedy. His deeply endearing persona conveys satire of theatrical stereotypes. His slurred Aristocratic accent suggests Barrington’s fame may be viewed best through his scotch-tinted glasses. Confusingly, this show contained all of the same material of his 2009 performance. Admittedly, it was still enjoyable a second time round.

Candlelight productions performed Charles Barrington no favours during his performance. Staff came in and whispered loudly at the tech desk, undeterred by Charles’ request that they stop or the 20-strong audience turning round to watch them. The sound tech also decided to apply spray-on deodorant, and missed both of the queues to turn the microphone on for Charles. There’s little more they could have done to detract from the show. He deserved better.

Despite these hitches Charles Barrington is a deeply enjoyable character to spend an hour with, and with a bit of luck his run in the Tuxedo Cat will be smoother. A colourful and entertaining hour of theatrical satire.