One Man Star Wars Trilogy
Charles Ross
Royalty Theatre
Tues 27 March
until Sat 31 March


From the moment I heard about 'One Man Star Wars Trilogy', a show in which Canadian performer Charles Ross acts out all three of George Lucas' original classic films on his own, I've been wondering how it's supposed to work. Sure, it sounds like something you could do as a party trick for some well-lubricated friends, but to take it around the world to rave reviews? How does that work? The answer is incredibly, hilariously well.

As it turns out, there's no trick to it. Ross steps on stage alone in nondescript black clothing and, without preamble, scats out the opening music known and loved by so many. With only an hour to knock out the trilogy, he tears along at breakneck speed, spouting the dialogue and miming the action of the pivotal events. He barely breathes between lines, but he never falters, switching from a perfect Alec Guinness impression to the famous R2-D2 whistle, plus those tricky lightsaber noises.

As he switches from character to character and turns into all manner of ships and special effects, Ross resembles nothing so much as a child playing make-believe, but the whole thing is enthralling. Frequently he breaks script for a knowing joke at the story, but a lot of the enjoyment comes from just watching him inhabit the situations. His memory is simply amazing; there's not a fluffed line, despite the reams of digits and techno-babble included. I'd call myself a moderate 'Star Wars' fan at best, and I had an absolute ball at this show. I don't know how much you'd get if you're not familiar with the trilogy, but for hardcore fans this is an absolute must-see.

Henry Nicholls