Most Favoured – Soho Theatre, London

Writer: David Ireland

Director: Max Elton

In its brief, 45-minute runtime, Most Favoured is bright and alive with humour that lifts and lights up the stage. Mary (Lauren Lyle) and Mike (Alexander Arnold) have just woken up after a one-night stand at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Mary has just had the best sex of her life, but she has something to tell Mike, and as things progress and her admission comes to light, Mike’s blasé reaction reveals that he, too, has been hiding something major from her.

Unlike David Ireland’s prior work, this script has very little depth or socio-political heft. Instead, it is a straightforward, fun two-hander that builds up to a reveal that, despite its absurdity, is delightfully well-handled. While the script itself is lacking in punch, Max Elton’s direction, along with Lyle and Arnold’s performances, lift Most Favoured to a higher level than the script itself could manage in less experienced hands. Their performances are generously peppered with looks and character quirks which drive the comedic heart of the piece, especially in Arnold’s constant awareness of his bucket of fried chicken.

While the set (Ceci Calf) and lighting (Amy Daniels) mainly perform a functional role, each has one standout moment to provide a punchline in a play that mainly relies on the interplay between Lyle and Arnold for its numerous laughs. The London crowd gets much enjoyment from some of the geographical jokes as Mike’s American ignorance butts up against Mary’s Glaswegian idiosyncrasies.

All in all, Most Favoured is theatre as extended joke. While the laughs land well, thanks to the brilliance of the performances, it is a play that is neither as funny as Soho Theatre’s stand-up programme nor as deep as its theatre programme. It therefore ends up stranded in an amusing no man’s land between the two, despite its surface-level enjoyment.

Runs until 24 January 2026