‘The Nap’: Brit-com about snooker is a delight

‘THE NAP’: (left to right) Max Gordon Moore, Bhavesh Patel, Ben Schnetzer, John Ellison Conlee & Heather Lind. Photo: Joan Marcus

THE NAP
Written by Richard Bean
Directed by Daniel Sullivan
Through November 11, 2018
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street
(212-239-6200), http://thenapbroadway.com/

By David NouNou

Set in present day Sheffield in the United Kingdom, Richard Bean’s The Nap is about snooker. Snooker is a British game similar to pool and billiards. There are no solid or striped balls, both players get to sink the same balls into pockets, and some of the balls have higher point values than others. Obviously the more points you sink till the last ball is sunk, the player with the most points wins. One cannot divulge too much of the plot, because most of the fun of this show is witnessing how the story unfolds.

Dylan Spokes’ (Ben Schnetzer) world revolves around snooker; he has devoted his life to it. His father Bobby Spokes (John Ellison Conlee) has primed Dylan for this moment to compete in The World Snooker Championship. There are more people involved but again, one can’t tell you much about them because their characters are part of the plot development. There is Stella Spokes (Johanna Day) Dylan’s mother, Tony DanLino (Max Gordon Moore) is his sleazy agent, and Waxy Bush (Alexandra Billings). a transsexual mobster.

Mr. Bean’s other show, One Man, Two Guvnors, which opened at the Music Box in 2011 with James Corden, was a frantic comedy with a stellar performance by Mr. Corden. The Nap is a slower-paced comedy with convoluted characters that are mixed up with all sorts of shady dealings which is in large part where the play gets its fun.

Daniel Sullivan’s direction keeps the plot and actors constantly moving and you really have to pay attention to the dialogue. Because of the regional British accents in the show, it makes it difficult to understand all the punch lines, thus extra listening is required to get the most out of them.

Ben Schnetzer is very good as the Dylan, the young snooker player caught up in the machinations of the adults. John Ellison Conlee delivers yet another delightful performance as Dylan’s addlepated former drug-dealing father; and when your character is named Waxy Bush, a transsexual mobster, Alexandra Billings makes the most of her sublime role.

The Nap is not as rambunctious as its predecessor, but still a delightful evening of hi-jinx in the theater.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 1, 2018
Reviewed at September 30, 2018 press performance.

‘THE NAP’: Ben Schnetzer & Heather Lind. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Ben Schnetzer & Johanna Day. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Max Gordon Moore & (left to right) Johanna Day & Alexandra Billings. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Max Gordon Moore & John Ellison Conlee. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Ben Schnetzer & Max Gordon Moore. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: Max Gordon Moore & Alexandra Billings. Photo: Joan Marcus

‘THE NAP’: (left to right) Bhavesh Patel, Thomas Jay Ryan, Ahmed Aly Elsayed, Max Gordon Moore, Ben Schnetzer, John Ellison Conlee, Johanna Day, Heather Lind, Alexandra Billings & Ethan Hova. Photo: Joan Marcus