Road - Royal Exchange Theatre

Johnny Vegas as Scullery - photo by Ros Kavanagh.

CAN comedian Johnny Vegas act?

That question was well and truly on my mind as I made my way to the RET, on a chilly night in February.

After only ever seen Vegas making people laugh I can say a resounding yes to that particular question, for the role of Scullery, the narrator in Jim Cartwright’s northern masterpiece could have been written just for him.

Even if Scullery, our unofficial tour guide along a grim northern street, is, thanks to an angry, affecting and at times uncompromising script, isn’t always a barrel of laughs.

The inhabitants of the Road in question live in a dystopian world in which drink, drugs and meaningless sexual flings are their only means of escape, their flirting with pleasure giving them nothing more than a temporary reprievre.

Sir Tom Courtenay puts in a memorable performance through a short film in which his Jerry, looking jaded and fed up with life, laments the passing of the ability for his generation to flit from one job to the next and also mourns the passing of chivalry.

The performance of Lucy Beaumont and Lesley Joseph, who, like the rest of the cast play a variety of different roles are also very watchable. Birds of a Feather star Joseph is just as much t home in this northern dystopia as she is in the cossetted world of sitcom.

For me, the most moving part of the play comes courtesy of Jake Dunn as Joey, who has taken to his bed Lennon like.

But rest assured, this isn’t an unrelenting evening of doom and gloom and one of the funniest scenes comes courtesy of the attempted seduction of a soldier so sozzled he can’t stand up unaided.

Director Selina Cartmell, designer Leslie Travers and the rest of the creatives have combined to create one of the most immersive theatrical experiences I’ve ever seen.

I’ve never been a spoiler of surprises and have no intention of starting now.

Now here’s the bad news. this production is sold out and tickets are by returns only. Anyone lucky enough to have them are certain to enjoy this Road trip.

Until March 14. Tickets, returns only, are available from 0161 833 9833 or online at www.royalexchange.co.uk.

Star rating - 4.5 out of 5.