Scott Miller is a Lying Cheat @ Vespbar

Sonic Boom blast forth with the self-styled 'one-man rom-com' directed by Claire Sheppard and starring Kenny Boyle who co-founded Sonic Boom while at university to create theatre opportunities for people of their age group where there were few.

This immensely engaging comedy written by the pair doesn’t let a minute go by without a hilarious quip or observational witticism, while scenes of drama have the audience immersed in a deep hypnosis that none dare break. Sonic Boom have really sunk their teeth in.

Delivering for seventy-five minutes without a break is a formidable task, but Kenny Boyle a formidable actor. His comic timing flawlessly extends through punch-line jokes, ranting monologues, flippant asides, and particularly excellent character-based humour.

Scott Miller... is the tale of a slightly socially-awkward university student evolving from romantic zero to three-timing anti-hero. While for the main part the story is relayed by the eponymous protagonist, Boyle also draws on a large supporting cast, seamlessly jumping into their skins, each with their own peculiarities and body language, from the droning brother to the boisterous and bawdy best friend; the frustratingly charismatic and squeaky-clean good guy dating the object of Scott’s affection; a professor of the science of SMS Textology, and many more. One has to wonder if the pair had someone in mind when creating each of these breathing, vivid, comic depictions.

The script itself is a golden asset which deserves to be revisited and restaged time and time again. The final scene does comes across a little affected, which is underwhelming in the context of the originality of the piece otherwise, particularly as the culminative line is given away in the title. But any other contentions lay not with what was there, which was excellent, but more with a lingering hunger for certain threads to be expanded.

There is a longing to see more of Amy's frustratingly charming boyfriend, and to hear of how Scott taking her home distressed escalated into a full-fledged romance. The desire for more within such a play goes as much to its credit as to its detriment - the quality of writing is distinguished and its delivery exceptionally charismatic. [Antony Sammeroff]