‘Sharp, witty, tender’: Frank & Percy On Stage

Not even two Titans of the stage, including an octogenarian knight of the realm, could perform a King Canute against flooding that engulfed the Theatre Royal Windsor and cancelled the evening’s entertainment.

Sir Ian McKellen, 84, and Roger Allam, a mere 69, are starring in the world premiere of Frank and  Percy.  But a backstage flood in the lighting workshop kept the curtain down for Monday’s disappointed audience.

It couldn’t have happened at a busier time. It was Garter Day at Windsor Castle and the town was full of pomp and ceremony, dignitaries, tourists and chiming bells. It was King Charles’ first service for the Order of the Garter to honour those who have held public office, contributed to national life or who have served the Sovereign.  So nothing for Boris then.

In the shadow of Windsor Castle hopeful theatre-goers were turned away as it was deemed unsafe to follow the adage of The Show Must Go On.

‘The flooding took us by surprise and we’re still trying to find the cause.  It’s an old theatre, built in 1911,’  a spokesperson offered.  ‘And while there’s no such thing as bad publicity we didn’t want to electrocute a national treasure.’

The Show Must Go On

The Theatre Royal Windsor has hosted a streak of successful shows in recent years, and thankfully the next night’s show, a poignant and witty take on an unlikely relationship that blossoms between two men thanks to their dog walks, goes ahead without a hitch.

Old friends, three-time Olivier Award winner Roger Allam, and one of our best known stage and screen actors, Ian McKellen, re-unite with Director Sean Mathias, for this heart-tugging two-hander.  And anyone who has ever had a dog, walks dogs or isn’t a dog-hater will find it even more appealing.

We, the audience, can only imagine the canine cast.  Toffee and Bruno bark but are never seen as they run around Hampstead Heath, but they are key to the burgeoning friendship between their masters Percy, an academic and author (McKellen) and widowed history teacher Frank (Allam).

And, it seems, the entire company has a shaggy dog story. Producer Kenwright says: ‘Dogs leave paw prints on our hearts.’  Allam’s first paid acting job was voicing Toto the Dog in a puppet version of the Wizard of Oz. A teenage McKellen only approved of his widowed father’s new marriage ‘as long as we can get a dog.’

Many dogs later Sir Ian finds work and travel prevent him keeping a dog.  ‘I’ve missed them. I’ve always wanted a Labrador – and now along comes Bruno in the play, to fulfil that dream,’ he says.

A play born out of a pandemic

Director Sean Mathias says his three doggie pals make his a very happy home, while Production Designer Morgan Large, who creates a stunning, versatile and textured set to fit the shifting locations,  has fond memories of his grandparents’ pet Winston getting drunk from a leaky beer keg and falling into a pond on bonfire night.

Only Lighting Designer Nick Richings admits his favourite dog is a cat called Aloysius.

Playwright Ben Weatherill dedicates the play to a much missed family Labrador the size of a donkey and his current Labrador. ‘If it was up to me I’d own a thousand dogs,’ he says.

‘In a way this is a play born out of Covid. This is a pandemic play in that it was written during that very strange time when, like many others, I was feeling rather lonely and isolated.

Tender comedy with razor-sharp wit

‘My daily walks with my Labrador, Audrey, quickly became the most sacred part of the day and the brief interactions with other dog walkers at a safe distance were some of the only conversations I’d have with people outside my bubble. Frank and Percy strolled into my head one day whilst I was in the middle of a field with Audrey.

 ‘These were two men who met in a moment of disconnection in their lives and suddenly transformed each other. I could see them very clearly, hear them talking to each other; I really wanted to keep listening to what they had to say.

‘On the surface, it’s a comedy about two men who strike up a relationship after meeting walking their dogs. However, once you start getting under their skin it’s about so much more – exploring your sexuality later in life, grief, time and feeling pushed out of society by your age. We rarely get to see older characters who are multifaceted, and I think that’s one of the joys of this story.’

Weatherill invites us to eavesdrop on Frank and Percy as they discuss everything from climate change, Viagra and their dogs’ diets to gay pride, karaoke and shopping in a sharp, witty and tender comedy that takes affectionate swipes at pomposity and prejudice.

Would it give too much away to divulge that Sir Ian wears his Some People Are Gay – Get Over It T-shirt and tutu with pride?