Review: THE BEAN SPILLERS at The Hen & Chickens Theatre 27 March (performed monthly)

“Howl with laughter at The Bean Spillers bonkers, harmless tittle-tattle … it can’t be true … can it?” ★★★★ 

The Bean Spillers is a show with more than one unique selling point; it’s an improvised musical and it’s based on gossip supplied by the audience.   It isn’t a series of vignettes, it’s an entire story made from one piece of gossip and it’s a different story at every performance. As such, the beans can be spilled right here.

The audience is permitted to have a chat to their neighbours about some juicy gossip and the performers listen in. On this occasion the rumour chosen by the cast, is about a man in his 30s who is still breast feeding. The gossipers added a little further truly shocking information (we loved it): The man invites his mum on his honeymoon (she’s all alone now that her husband has died) and his wife walks in on him suckling at his mother’s breast.  

That’s all the information The Bean Spillers need to make an entire musical, fleshing out the story, making instant lyrics to music supplied by the pianist. Impossible? Apparently not! The Hen and Chickens Theatre was packed to the rafters with people howling with laughter.  

The Bean Spillers is the brainchild of Gigglemug Theatre. (Gigglemug is Victorian slang meaning an habitually smiling face). Regular performers Sam Cochrane and Alex Prescot know their craft and to add a little extra piquancy a special guest is invited to work with them on each of their monthly shows.  On this occasion it was Singaporean-Chinese performer Joy Tan, who certainly earned their crust, particularly in the musical numbers.   They also made many pertinent points including the fact that if the mother is lactating, it implies that she’s never stopped breast feeding.

The numbers were really very good indeed and no sillier than many songs which find their way into opera and musicals without needing any excuse at all.  One of Tan’s lines in their first song, “I thought you would go far, but you’re nothing if you can’t see my mum in her bra” was only one of the many quick-fire responses to the challenge. 

Favourite episodes of the night included the song in which Tan (as the mother) explained why her son was continuing to breast feed (at various stages of his life), the hulk episode and the final scenes in the prison. Several tropes became apparent which added to the impossible nature of instant musical making. For example, those moments when instead of making things easier they increase the stakes. Tan was particularly keen on doing this, almost leaving the lads stranded at one point and here’s the second trope; the moment when the troupe seem to be in a hole, however, there was absolutely no sense of panic (which is often a feature of improv). 

In prison things started to get ‘deep’ and here is something that is rarely a part of improv as the meaning of the show often eludes them. In this case it transpires to be ‘family’ and the three (wife, husband, and mum), after being estranged, are reunited at the end. Aw, isn’t that sweet! 

The two regular performers, Sam Cochrane and Alex Prescot are joyful performers who have confidence, ease, and an especially well-developed sense of fun (easily bringing in the laughs).  Pianist Jordan Clarke is very versatile, with split second responses to the improvisation, making enjoyable musical accompaniments to all the songs. Both Tan and Clarke are members of West End Show, the Olivier Award Winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. The four of them make a winning team.

It's bonkers, harmless light relief, with people bonding over a little tittle tattle … it can’t be true … can it?

The Bean Spillers, presented by Gigglemug Theatre

Next performance is 19th June 2022 at the Hen & Chickens (with more dates to be announced)

Box Office https://www.unrestrictedview.co.uk/the-bean-spillers-5/

Cast: Sam Cochrane & Alex Prescot with special guest Joy Tan

Musical accompaniment by Jordan Clarke

Location: The Hen & Chickens Theatre Bar, 109 St Paul's Rd, London N1 2NA

Reviewer: Heather Jeffery is Editor of London Pub Theatres Magazine