CANCELLED Paul Richards: Harvey Greenfield is Running Late @ The Art House | Thurs 28 May 2020

A play written by and starring Paul Richards.

A groundbreaking one-man piece of comedic theatre that asks a simple question: Is it possible to please everyone, all of the time? And at what cost to your family and health? In this fast and frenetic comedy, award-winning writer/performer Paul Richards explores our need to please, and why it's sometimes healthy to, every now and then, just sit in a shed and play Subbuteo by yourself, eating biscuits and listen to Meat Loaf.

Find Paul Richards on Facebook and Twitter

THE SCOTSMAN (4 STAR REVIEW, EDINBURGH FRINGE, AUGUST 2019)
Has the show started? Is everyone here? When’s the door going to be shut? These are the questions asked by a frantic man on stage who may or may not be in character.

Written and performed by Paul Richards, it follows the journey of an idiosyncratic 38-year-old man, Harvey Greenfield, as he becomes overwhelmed by other people’s demands on his time. It is, we are told, based on a true story – apart from one bit.

Like an alternative Ferris Bueller, rather than having a day off, Harvey is simply trying to get to work for a meeting, but keeps getting phone calls from his mum, girlfriend, the guy at the garage, the lawyer of a cyclist taking him to court, someone saying something about a funeral...

A self-described “strangely ugly Hugh Grant type”, his naivety and inability to cope in the modern world is simultaneously charming and horrifying. He gives money to every weird charity that asks, gets into the kind of scrapes Just William would be proud of, and has a relationship with a competent and beautiful girlfriend that shouldn’t work, but somehow does.

The escalating web of chaos is skilfully scripted in the vein of a classic film comedy, while detours into Harvey’s childhood chart his development from a painfully nervous teenager to someone who is almost able to function.

This is a transformation of Hollywood proportions but, as the pressure builds and Harvey’s mind starts to melt, the piece highlights the more serious consequences of taking on too much to a point where it impacts on your mental health. “Which bit’s not true?” an audience member asks after the show’s finished, as two others wipe away tears. “The ending, obviously,” says Paul, or Harvey – which presumably means everything else is, and it’s sadly all too recognisable.

SALLY STOTT ****

SUE MARCHANT - BBC RADIO CAMBRIDGESHIRE (ON TWITTER, NOVEMBER 2019)
Such an amazing performance. A must experience show.

THE SWINDONIAN (SWINDON FRINGE REVIEW, APRIL 2019)
Harvey Greenfield is Running Late. Literally running. Almost without rest. And late for everything. He’s a man who can’t say no and he’s in a number of terrible fixes as a result.

After last years’ “Short Plays about Marvellous People” Paul Richards returned to the Swindon Fringe with his new one-man show. The very first public performance, no less. And, just like last year, Richards seems to have comic energy to burn. He makes Lee Evans seems narcoleptic by comparison.

And he uses up every last iota of that energy in a show that features him running on the spot for the best part of 50 minutes interrupted only by the occasional spot of table football. Throughout he interacts with a soundtrack of music and voice-overs as the people in his life pull him in every direction at once. The result is mostly laugh-out-loud, but punctuated with sorrow. Harvey Greenfield is a man who tries to please everyone and, as a result, pleases no-one. Least of all himself.

It can only end badly. But that doesn’t stop it hurting when it does.

Ingeniously written and powerfully performed.

Travel information:-

We are a city centre venue and parking can be in short supply. If you are driving, please make sure you leave plenty of time to find a space click here for a map of where the nearest parking spaces can be found.

We recommend Kings Park Road car park:
We are about 10 minutes walk from Southampton City Centre train station (head up the hill toward the Guildhall clock tower) and on the route for most city centre buses (the Unilink U1 stops virtually outside.)

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Accessibility info:-

Events are generally suitable for adults, young people and older children - children must be accompanied by an adult at all times, however. Young children are also welcome to come along but be aware some poems and songs may contain adult content (although we try to keep these until after children have left!)

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Events are open to all ages unless otherwise stated, however please note that our mission is to provide creative activity primarily to adults, therefore most of our programme is aimed at 16 years and over. Performances may include stronger language.

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This is Bik, one of our founding directors, on a rare break in the sunshine outside the Art House (you can just see in the distance the site of what is to be Southampton's new Arts Centre come Oct 2015.) Bik organises most of our special events, publices them, and can be found behind the sound desk on most nights or scurrying around, rounding up band members!