Quiz - Altrincham Garrick

AH yes, good old audience participation.

The good news is fans of it don’t have to attend a panto or an evening of stand up comedy to take part in it.

Quiz is inspired by the true story of Major Charles Ingram, convicted of duping Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, aling with his accomplices, of the jackpot prize of a million pounds.

Charles and his wife Diana epitomise the phrase middle England and in real life they were given suspended sentences for their part in the fraud.

But in James Graham’s witty and at times poignant play - even I was initially taken in by their veneer of respectability - the audience via some sort of easy to work gadget ultimately get to decide whether they were innocent or guilty.

Tom Broughton and Melanie Beswick are very convincing as the Major and his wife and Ben Walsh makes for a very watchable Chris Tarrant, even managing to capture the TV presenter’s unmistakable laugh with uncanny authenticity.

Quiz is a play of two halves it has too be said, with an over sized chunk of act one remembering old game shows like Bullseye when the prizes were unbelievably naff compared to today’s programmes like Millionaire where its possible to win a life changing sum of money.

Forgive me, who could really get excited by the prospect of walking away with a new vacuum cleaner?

Daniel Ellis is great fun as the warm up man and he enjoys am instant rapport with the audience. Ellis is a natural and he teaches us when to express our emotions, how to whoop and gasp in all the right places.

Director Joe Meighan can add Quiz to a long list of theatrical triumphs at the Garrick, taking the company into new territory and so attracting a new amd younger audience.

Long make it continue.

Star rating - 3.5 our of 5.

Tickets are available from 0161 928 1677 or www.altrinchamgarrick.co.uk.

Photo by Martin Ogden.