TAKING to the stage without having first read the script would be folly for even the most seasoned actors.
But that is the task facing two Jersey performers at a unique show next month.
The internationally acclaimed theatrical show Manwatching is being brought to the Island on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June at ArtHouse Jersey at Capital House.
Equal parts confession, comedy and social experiment, the show has been described as a “completely unpredictable night of theatre” in which a male performer walks on stage having never seen the script before.
It was written anonymously by a woman, and first developed by London’s Royal Court Theatre before touring internationally, offering a “candid, sharp and often hilarious” exploration of “heterosexual female desire, relationships and sex”.
The script is read aloud, in real time, by an unprepared man – with two well-known Jersey performers set to take on the challenge. Comedian Christian Jegard will perform the piece on the Friday before Story Beast actor John Henry Falle takes the stage on the Saturday.
Mr Jegard is a Jersey-born comic currently based in Brighton who has appeared in the BBC New Comedy Awards, and can also be heard on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Meanwhile Mr Falle’s work blends comedy, folklore, history and storytelling, with performances and commissions spanning everything from castles and standing stones to Hadrian’s Wall. His work has featured on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and BBC One’s Ghosts.
ArtHouse Jersey chief executive Tom Dingle said: “Part of the thrill of Manwatching is that audiences are discovering the piece at exactly the same time as the performer.
“It creates this brilliant tension between comedy, vulnerability and spontaneity where literally anything could happen.
“Christian and John Henry are both incredibly different performers with completely distinct energies and instincts, which means audiences can expect two genuinely unique nights.”
The pair will be performing their different interpretations of the show on the respective days at 7pm, with doors opening at 6.45pm. Tickets that cost £20 are available via eventbrite.co.uk, with a recommended age guidance of 16 plus.
