If you enjoy sports, quirky British humor, and a bit of mystery, then you will thoroughly enjoy the new Broadway production of The Nap. It’s not about sleeping. It’s about going against the grain, or the nap, in a game of snooker — a British version of pool.
The Manhattan Theatre Club started off its Fall 2018 season with the American premiere of this work by English playwright Richard Bean.
This story centers around Dylan Spokes (played by Ben Schnetzer), a rising young star in the snooker tournament space. As he gets ready for a big championship in his hometown, game authorities pay him a visit to warn him about match fixing. Apparently, there’s big money to be made in these high-stakes games if players take bribes to purposely lose matches. But this would also risk the clean sportsmanship of Spokes’ game.
It seems as though Spokes himself is into honest sport and keeping a good reputation in his craft. But with the cast of characters surrounding him, you can never be too sure. You see, his dad’s an ex-con who deals drugs, his mother is always quick on a scam, and there’s even a famous gangster in his midst. His family is exactly the type to take advantage of fixing a game in their favor, and even betting against one of their own. But as it turns out, nobody in this show is exactly who you think they are.
One of the coolest parts of the show is that a live snooker game happens on the stage. Trust me, I never thought that I’d be that into seeing people play billiards. But it’s refreshing to see some live games added to the show, especially now that special effects are so commonplace in entertainment. Also, it adds some suspense and drama to the show, because anything could happen on stage and effect the tournament at large.
Keep an open mind and an eye out for some of the mysterious twists and turns and you’ll have a fun time taking in this show.
If you go, The Nap is now playing through November 11 at the Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Freidman Theatre at 261 W. 47th Street in New York City. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online.
