STU McLoughlin wasn’t the one who was the Living Spit of Henry VIII – that was his co-founder the late Howard Coggins. And Stu isn’t the average idea of Shakespearean hero Hamlet either, though an average is difficult to envision.

But nothing ventured, he thought, and finding an obscure reference to an eggshell in Act 4 Scene 4 of the famous tragedy, he embarked on his first one-man show for the Clevedon-based company he set up with Howard in 2012. He was a bit nervous of doing all the characters himself, but quickly realised that fruit, vegetables and dairy products were easier and cheaper to work with than guest actors.

And so Omlet, Prince of Henmark, was born. Its first performances, in Living Spit’s new home at The Market Hall, sold out and were rapturously received. Now it is on tour, and stopped at The Exchange at Sturminster Newton for two nights.

I should first say that the better you know the play, the more complete will be your understanding and enjoyment. But, as Stu promised, all the good bits from Shakespeare are in there, as are hints of the Muppets’ Statler and Waldorf, some inspired and Blue Peter-ish prop creation, and a deep delve into the psyche of the Henmarker prince and the actor who takes on the task of explaining him to the audience.

Living Spit’s signature humour is all here, in the gently-massaged names of the comestible characters (Horadicchio, Laercheese, Gertroot, Guildernsturnip etc). The actor’s phenomenal feat is the voices, hopping at high speed and never losing momentum, but just occasionally talking direct to the audience of his own fears and insecurity about the validity of the undertaking.

As well as the laughter – the Pasta Players and their Gonzago play, and even a battalion of soldiers, who are toast – there is true pathos. O-pea-lia is broken by Omlet’s rejection and her father Potatolonious’s behind-the-arras death. Omlet himself mourns the death of jester Garlic. And then the identity of those two hand-mouths invading the screen is unexpectedly revealed. It’s very clever, brave and funny – and it does tell the story.

GP-W

You can see an Omlet made at Dorchester Corn Exchange on 12th November, Bridport Arts Centre on 13th, Bishop Sutton Village Hall on 14th, Portland Royal Manor Theatre on 18th, Marine Theatre Lyme Regis on 19th and Chetnole Village Hall on 20th November, before Mr McLoughlin realises it’s beginning to look a lot like Quizmas. For those dates, visit the Living Spit website.