Fully Committed

Less of a role and more of a challenging vehicle for a talented voice actor, Sam Peliczowski is probably author Becky Mode’s best known character to date. The linchpin behind one of the hottest restaurants in Manhattan, Sam struggles to forge an acting career while manning the reservations hotline for celebrity chef Bob Walker.

Mode’s convoluted comedy is fairly tame albeit with a refreshingly upbeat ending but for the actor playing Sam it’s a schizophrenic minefield of character switching and comic timing. It takes a while to adjust to the format of Mode’s play but gradually you stop worrying about the technique and start engaging with the characters.

The wry, vaguely cynical Marcus Brigstocke may not be an obvious choice for this energetic role, but the award-winning comedian just about pulls it off, juggling the myriad of voices necessary in Fully Committed with his other solo stand-up show across town, Why The Long Face?

Through a progressively hectic series of vocal theatrics, Brigstocke creates the variety of needy clientele and staff demanding Sam’s attention. In less accomplished hands, it could easily become an exercise in self-indulgence but Brigstocke focuses on Sam’s unflappable humility amid a sea of inflated egos to make the vehicle work.