Writer: Mike Leigh
Director: Nadia Fall
The bar is stocked with gin and tonic, the cigarette holder is full, a cheesy pineapple hedgehog has been prepped and Demis Roussos is on the record player. It means that for a few select neighbours, Beverley’s 1970s suburban soirée is about to begin.
Abigail – the teenager across the road, is having a party, so her mum Sue (Pandora Colin) has been banished from the house for the night. Beverley (Tamzin Outhwaite) has organised a little get-together partially under the guise of welcoming the new neighbours but mainly to show off her skills as a hostess and one-up the other neighbours.
Her long-suffering estate agent husband Lawrence (Kevin Bishop) flits around the guests – exasperated at Beverley’s drinking, and too strait-laced himself to let his hair down. Angela (Ashna Rabheru) is desperate to fit in and get on Beverley’s good side, while Tony (Omar Malik) is doing his best to fight off her constant flirting. It’s purposefully uncomfortable and cringe-worthy, brilliantly funny and excellently performed.
First produced in 1977, Mike Leigh’s tragicomedy has had its fair share of revivals, proving that despite some of wince-inducing language, it’s mostly stood the test of time. The comments on class and human nature are still as relevant now as they ever were, and though the visually accurate set design (Peter McKintosh) may be less modern, the passive-aggressive, awkward interactions between acquaintances are wonderfully timeless.
None of the characters is painted in a particularly good light – Lawrence is short-tempered, Tony is dismissive, Angela is needy, and at the centre of it all (just as she’d like) Beverley is a glorious caricature of narcissistic behaviour. Her disdain for her guests is mostly well-hidden (to them, not us), and every conversation needs to include her in some way or another. Yet, even with everyone’s flaws, these aren’t hated characters – they are a joy to watch, even if that joy derives from being relieved that you’re not actually a guest at the painful-looking party.
Tamzin Outhwaite is an absolute gem – this role allows her to showcase her fantastic comedic prowess, and she is on fabulous form as she saunters around the 70s living room tending to her guests. She captures the perfect amount of wickedness within her portrayal of Beverley, while still allowing a touch of vulnerability to shine through at points to not completely alienate the audience. Yet, even without that, her nasty remarks and passive-aggressive fakery are so excellently done that you can’t help but love her, even though her character is not someone you’d want to interact with. Kevin Bishop is equally as wonderful as the exhausted Lawrence, his introverted frustration at Beverley’s loud music and garish tastes hilarious, and his progression to becoming less patient and more neurotic as the show goes on is roaringly funny.
Pandora Colin as Sue doesn’t miss a beat, her awkwardness radiating through every one of her perfectly pained facial expressions and purposefully rigid movements. She is quiet and polite, her prim and proper manner fantastically contrasted with Beverley’s flamboyance, and Colin’s expert comedic timing helps to keep the narrative discomfort strong. Ashna Rabheru as Angela shines as the slightly hopeless, desperate-to-please, enthusiastically impressionable, new addition to the area, while Omar Malik as Tony does a great job as the grumpy, brooding bloke, desperate to just go home and pack in all the socialising.
This is a gleefully funny revival of social interactions, class and human behaviour that does the original justice with this powerhouse casting.
Runs until 12October 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Gleefully, Awkwardly Hilarious
