Alan Ayckbourn's 1969 comedy "How The Other Half Loves" is currently receiving a revival at the Old Vic, with critic Georgina Brown praising Roger Allam's performance as Frank. The play, a dissection of three marriages, relies on humor derived from misunderstandings and social commentary. Brown notes that while the production by Philip Breen is "fluent but far from flawless," Allam's portrayal of the pompous and oblivious Frank is a comedic highlight. "Wearing a white vest tucked into patterned Y-fronts, his double-chin wobbling like blancmange, umming and erring, hopelessly and hilariously inept, he oozes pomposity as Frank while always getting the wrong end of the stick," she writes.
The play's plot involves overlapping dinner parties where two couples, Frank's wife Fiona and her lover Bob, and Bob's wife Terry, along with the Featherstones, are brought together. Despite the farcical elements, Brown suggests that the production sometimes lacks the "truthful emotional subtext" that underpins Ayckbourn's work, and that the chemistry between some of the other characters is unconvincing. However, Allam's "blissful study in blind befuddlement alone is in a comedy class of its own."
In a different vein, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats" is being staged at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. Brown rates this production four out of five stars, describing it as a "cat-tastic, dream-like musical." This new staging, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, features performers in body-stockings with "unappealing skinny, rat-like tails." The review notes that the show, based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats," is a "ridiculous, plotless hairball" that functions as a "catalogue of characters" with varied dance styles and Lloyd Webber's eclectic music. Standout performances include Rachel Wooding as Grizabella, delivering a belting rendition of "Memory," and the energetic portrayals of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer by Danny Nattrass and Briana Craig, respectively. Jet Yau's "glittering, silver and black street-dancing Mr Mistoffelees" and Jaydon Vijn's "cocky Jagger-like alley cat, Rum Tum Tugger" also draw praise. The audience reportedly received the show enthusiastically.
Both "How The Other Half Loves" and "Cats" were scheduled to run until September 19, with "Cats" set to embark on a UK and Ireland tour starting October 6 in Plymouth.
Edinburgh Festival Highlights
At the Edinburgh International Festival, Wagner Moura starred in and co-created "A Trial – After An Enemy Of The People," a modern Portuguese-language adaptation of Ibsen's play. Set in a Brazilian spa town, Moura plays a doctor who warns of industrial waste contaminating the water, leading to a trial orchestrated by his mayor brother. While the exchanges between the brothers were found to be "one-note" by critic Veronica Lee, Moura's performance was described as "mesmerising," almost making up for the play's lengthy running time. Lee awarded the production three out of five stars.
Amanda Knox's one-woman show "Amanda Knox: Cartwheel," also at the Fringe, received a less favorable two-star rating. Knox recounts her life before and after her high-profile murder trial in Italy. Lee felt that Knox was "poorly advised to put this show in the Comedy section," as neither the subject matter nor Knox's delivery were humorous.
In contrast, Australian comedian Frankie McNair's debut Fringe show "Huge Ass Mindset" earned four stars. McNair, a child sex abuse survivor, shared her journey to sobriety with "hooting gags" and a "truly shocking" but ultimately moving narrative. The show is set to transfer to London's Soho Theatre.
Chris Cantrill's "Rewilding," which he insists is "not a political show," garnered four stars. Cantrill, a comedian and writer, discusses his life in a Northumbrian village, describing a shocking event that may or may not have occurred. The show is characterized as "utterly daft and engaging."
"For Dolores," a two-hander by Eva O'Connor performed at the Traverse Theatre, also received four stars. The play, directed by Jim Culleton, features Catriona Faint and Lara McDonnell as former university friends squabbling in a therapist's office. Lee described it as a "sharply witty study of love, loss and friendship" with "two terrific performances."