Wrestling Mad at The Lowry

Oh dear! "Wrestling Mad" celebrates John Godber's 50th play and his 21st anniversary with the Hull Truck Theatre Company. If only I could find the words to supplement this extraordinary feat.

The play follows two highly qualified, projected thespians into the unlikely world of professional wrestling. Their two girlfriends provide intermittent glamour and potential gravitas.

The first ninety minutes is particularly ordinary with a shortage of laughs but with one or two good visual jokes. The last thirty minutes is worse. A moralising epitaph about the enlightenment of the masses does little to raise this tedious two hours above the mediocre.

The cast of four struggle bravely with the poor material . They all showed enough potential to withhold judgement on their acting ability.

John Godber has written some wonderfully funny plays in the past not least " Up 'n' Under "," Bouncers" and "On the Piste". This was not such a one. It seemed a hurried, badly thought out fill in. Not an evening to dwell on.

Richard Burbage

The Lowry , Salford Quays, until Saturday 25th March.