RSC Friends

Photograph by Peter Le May

Intriguing, surprising and hugely entertaining. The play begins by following two pairs of lovers attempting to escape from failed or soured relationships. The elements of farce are brilliantly played out to the audience’s delight. There is skilful deployment of trapdoors and amusing asides but what is so impressive is how slickly the cast move the play into a darker key where drunkeness and domestic violence confront us with the question, are we watching a tragedy or a comedy?

Director Philip Breen’s excellent programme notes are very helpful at this point explaining how this’play about nothing’ is full of profound psychological insights that bears close kinship to modern dramatists such as Ibsen and Pinter.

The musicians deserve special mention for the superb singing and woodwind ensemble. Costume and sets are also excellent and showed off the wonderful versatility of this extremely talented cast.