The Fourth Walsh

Tiwary Entertainment Group and Lead Producer Vivek J. Tiwary present THE MOVEMENT YOU NEED: AN EVENING WITH BRENDAN HUNT.

Chicago’s favorite soccer Coach returns to the Windy City! Brendan Hunt aka Coach Beard of “Ted Lasso” fame brings his one-man autobiographical show home. The Emmy and SAG Award winner gets personal in this bad-ass solo performance. He shares Rogers Park childhood snippets, a tutorial on lighting design and a life-long obsession with the Beatles. A chance encounter with Paul McCartney sends him back in time to being a beer-sipping three-year old watching “The Yellow Submarine.” Hunt is an animated storyteller. His self-deprecating humor is delivered straight-faced and slightly under the breath. He willingly throws himself or his mom under the bus for a laugh.       

Director Ashley Rodbro impressively orchestrates Hunt’s journey from submarine to Paul meet-up to son’s birth. Projected photos, videos and images connect the audience to his past. At one point, we see a high school sketch he wrote and starred in from 30+ years ago. Later, it’s pictures from an LSD dance party in Amsterdam where he recreates his first ever selfie with the help of an audience member. Hunt regularly interacts with the audience polling people’s life experiences, shaming a Beatle hater or catching up latecomers to what they’ve missed. His style is approachable. His antics are hilarious. And his life is adventure-forged and story-rich. This is the guy you’d want to bump into on a dance floor on LSD or sipping on a pint in the Steppenwolf bar post-show.

His memoir is anchored in unresolved feelings about his mother. His mom’s love of both the Beatles and beer shaped his world. And her addiction marred him for life. Multiple times he utters the exclamation and explanation: ‘when you love an addict.’ Hunt portrays the alcoholism in truth, grit and love. He doesn’t make fun of it. He makes fun of himself dealing with it. He shows a wacky video that he made for her intervention. His critique is brutally honest and laugh-out-loud funny. Hunt’s entire show is smart, substance-driven comedy.

THIS. Is. The. Movement. You. Need. Hunt is Broadway bound! The show is only in Chicago for a limited engagement. You need to move now! Get a ticket to experience Na Na’s origin story in his place of origin. And I guarantee that you’ll forever appreciate and connect Coach Beard to “Hey Jude.”

Running Time: One hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission

At Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted

Written and performed by Brendan Hunt

Directed by Ashley Rodbro

Performances are:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays,Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30pm

Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm

Thru May 10

For more information or tickets

Production photos by Robyn Von Swank

For more Chicago theatre information and reviews, please visit Theatre in Chicago