This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour was invited to see When You Fall Down at the invite of James Dangerfield
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, Dave Massey spoke to actor, writer and director James Dangerfield about creating When You Fall Down. Listen here:
By Dave Massey twitter.com/BrumHour.
Review: When You Fall Down at The Old Joint Stock
Written, Performed and Directed by James Dangerfield
When You Fall Down: The Buster Keaton Story comes to Birmingham in this one-man fifty-something-minute production which is at The Old Joint Stock until Sunday 3rd October 2021.
James Dangerfield presents a series of rich storytelling songs which provide a narrative of several single days in the life of Hollywood legend Buster Keaton, actor, stuntman and silent movie star who moved into talking pictures.
The black box stage at The Old Joint Stock’s top floor theatre provides the perfect setting for this very intimate production, with its black rear wall and dark purple curtains, a projection screen hangs at the rear and there is just a small table with several glasses and a decanter on one side. On a small fold-out seat sits an old fashioned candle style phone with the earpiece hanging off it.
James Dangerfield himself is hugely talented bringing the vocal styles of old Hollywood to his songs along with physical comedy, pratfalls and some sleight of hand magic that made me blink to register I’d witnessed it.
An utterly charming living biography of one man’s crazy life, the production also makes use of the film screen to show footage of Buster Keaton himself, it doesn’t flinch away from the stark realities of this actors life and manages to feel respectful even during the more challenging moments.
Running at around fifty-something minutes means this fringe style production would sit more than confidently at Edinburgh Fringe or fringe festivals across the world.
When You Fall Down is at The Old Joint Stock until Sunday 3rd October 2021. Book tickets here: oldjointstock.co.uk/whats-on/when-you-fall-down and find out more about James Dangerfield here: jamesdangerfield.com
