Get Carter - staged version at the Hove Townhall review

I only discovered that the story was based on real events instead of the Michael Caine version that made it a British icon. With last year's excellent Breakfast Club still in my mind, I was expecting this show to use another Brighton and Hove public building. Instead there was a multi-level stage with pub bar, a single bed and a lounge.

It started off with a telephone conversation with Carter saying he was going up North to bury his brother and investigate who killed him. Carter arrives at what I assumed to be a relatives house but only work out later that its his dead brother's spirit replaying old memories and giving the audience some background to keep the story on track. As well as the main scenes, instead of playing out the complicated action sequences, the actors would narrate to explain what they were doing or feeling - sometimes this over-simplified the situation. At other times, you glad of it as some of the actors didn't project their voice enough to be heard properly complicating things.

The actor playing the main role had the cockney boldness but didn't quite have the dominance you'd expect. Other characters seemed perfect for their roles like the gang bosses, the brother's murderer and London henchmen. The worst part of the performance was the lighting as cues were missed and lights went on unexpectedly.

Overall it was a good effort if you're a fan of the story but perhaps a bit dull for those unfamiliar to it.