You have to love a great drawing room play, and don’t the English know how to write one. Put a rich array of characters into a room, shake it up, and then watch them tear at each other. It’s great theatre and a tradition writer-director Sally Potter (Orlando) has drawn on for this lively party.
A group of seven friends are gathering to congratulate Janet (Kristen Scott-Thomas) on becoming Shadow Health Minister. Her husband Bill (Timothy Spall) is on the couch, in a catatonic mood. April (Patricia Clarkson) is her acerbic tongued assistant who is regretting her friendship with Gottfried (Bruno Ganz), a life-coach healing type. Jinny (Emily Mortimer) bursts in to tell Georgia, her partner, they’re having triplets! Tim (Cillian Murphy) turns up carrying a gun, and a lot of cocaine. When Bill makes his announcement hevsets the revelations and lacerations off.
This is a fantastic little farcical black comedy. The lines are sharp, with words that could cut razors, and pacey delivery. I love this sort of writing, and what a great cast to give this to. Ganz’s Gottfried feels a little cliché, but everyone in this quality collection are superb. Scott-Thomas plays it straight and is very impressive. Spall manages to gain our sympathy. This is how comedy should be played. Even when Tim goes off, it’s more comic than menacing, but he doesn’t know it. Potter has drawn great performances from her cast.
Potter uses a handheld camera to make it more immediate, and shoots it in black and white. It works well in its commentary on the left in Britain and these characters. At 72 minutes, it’s snappy without outstaying its welcome and the final twist is a comic one. By then we’ve covered a lot of darker political and personal territory with sharp wit, which will leave you glad you weren’t invited to this party, but you will have enjoyed your time there.
Con’s Score: 4 Vol au vents
Con Nats – On The Town & Theatre Now
