The Furze Family Variety Hour

The Furze Family show arrives on tour, this time with only two members left, Ginger (Helen Cassidy) and brother Red (Leon Cain). Ginger and Red were reared on the principle “The Show Must Go On”.

With a vast store of costumes and props they maintain rapid-fire sketches, mimes and songs. The programme sequence is projected on a side screen. We learn about the demise of others as the duo delete individual items: for example, when “The Sword Swallower” flashes up Ginger hands Red a long sword. He declines, holding the sword from his mouth the full length of his body. She nods understandingly as he returns the sword. “That’s what happened to Dad.”

Below the screen is a complete drum set, but no drummer. When a song is announced, Ginger appears, strumming a mandolin, and insists Red plays percussion. He demurs, she insists. Whether Leon Cain can play drums or not, he convinces us he can’t, but strikes appropriate drums or cymbals. Helen Cassidy, on the other hand, is a competent songstress and instrumentalist.

They left us chortling and convinced their show would entertain the whole family in regional halls: knockabout physical comedy, song and dance items, gender switches …

N-J Price devised the rough-house segments; Nerida Waters the traditional choreography; Tim Cummings the simple lighting design; Josh McIntosh managed the costume and minor set design changes; while Rachael Rolfe looked after the N-J Price devised the rough-house segments; Nerida Waters the traditional choreography; Tim Cummings the simple lighting design; Josh McIntosh managed the costume and minor set design changes; while Rachael Rolfe looked after the projected visuals.

Jay McKee

Photographer: Lukas Davidson