Jack is struggling, and everyone else seems to be moving on. Getting ahead. He needs a break, and when it finally comes, it’s the worst thing that could ever happen. Written and performed by Daniel Adolfsson (The Bridge, SVT), Bad Boy is a Nordic dark comedy with original live songs about chasing dreams and confronting the unbearable vulnerability of being truly seen. Directed by Lilac Yosiphon (Baylis Director, The Old Vic), co-created with Charlotte Davidson, and produced by Nerve Creations.
Review by Richard Lambert
Bad Boy is a one-man storytelling show from Nerve Creations, performed by a very handsome Swedish man who clearly knows his material!
The set is about as simple as it gets – one chair and a mat – and there’s really nowhere for the performer to hide. Luckily, he’s a confident performer and holds the audience well throughout.
The storytelling is interesting and the pace is good, with the hour moving along nicely. The script is OK and there are some good moments, although I was left feeling that there could perhaps have been a little more to the story.
The lighting was a bit hit and miss for the venue. The house lights stayed on for quite a while at the start, and some of the colours on the performer’s face were a little strange. The motorcycle effect, though, was a nice touch and worked well. Sound was fine and did what it needed to do.
One of the best parts of the show was the music. He performs two songs, singing and playing guitar, and he’s actually very good. His vocals are good and it adds another side to the performance.
As an actor, he’s very good and comes across as self-assured and comfortable on stage. There’s no complicated staging or choreography to help him along, so the show really does depend on him keeping the audience interested, which he manages to do.
Overall, it’s an OK show and I enjoyed it. And despite the title, he’s not really that bad of a boy!
Cast:
Daniel Adolfsson – Performer
Creatives:
Daniel Adolfsson – Writer
Lilac Yosiphon – Director
Charlotte Davidson – Co-creator / Creative Producer
Nerve Creations – Producer