The most slashing comedy of the last year returns for the 2024 season in a limited run starring Frances Barber, Lee Mack and Sarah Alexander. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if its deadly humour deserves a poison-pen comment.
I just think the world would be a better place if we eliminated a few people… For the record, let’s say I’m quoting the show. Let’s just say… But to be honest, who hasn’t had a couple of murderous thoughts every once in a while? Or the very sound wish to conquer the world and subject your minions to your utmost desires? Oh wait, no – that was last night’s naughty game. Carrying on. The joy of life shines bright in the West End, but definitely not around the Wyndham’s Theatre, where the most venomous farce of the last season has made a comeback to finish what it already started.
Welcome The Unfriend (the title’s clearly an homage to my Facebook vendettas), a not-so-new-anymore comedy about an unexpected visitor disrupting the passive-aggressive quietness of a London suburb. Written by Steven Moffat and directed by Mark Gattis, the show deals with a middle-aged couple in a crisis (straight romances are SO original…), who during a holiday cruise get acquainted with a seemingly nice old lady from Denver (you know the kind…) – a casual encounter resulting in a bit of a forced visit home (now you DO know the kind…) a few weeks later. Little do they expect that, five minutes before she arrives, they’ll find out the most horrible truth about her. No, it’s not that she’s a Tory, but you’re getting warm.
Coming back to a show you’ve already seen is sort of a tricky business. On the one hand, you know how much you’ve liked it the first time (I’m not that sadistic to repeat if I hated it – basically because I don’t enjoy if I’m not inflicting the pain on someone else…). But on the other hand, your expectations may be shattered rather swiftly, after finding out that what you remembered is no longer what you see onstage. In other words, it’s like realizing how badly your high school crush has aged over the years – wait, no, that’s actually quite satisfying. This, however, is not the case.
Hilariously funny from start to end (despite a few tiny bumps throughout the way), the play still keeps a big bucket of laughs to itself, and refuses to kick its own any time soon. A modern, slightly politically incorrect revision of the Mary Poppins premise (she’s just the same b*tch, she was just English in the original one), the show takes us on a smart-mouthed journey packed with absurd situations and sitcom-style humour – constantly reminding us of the one single lesson we must take with us on our paths: always preserve the loved ones in your lives and drop the toxic off. And if the latter doesn’t work, just drop some toxic on them instead!!
With well-resolved staging in spite of its not too fulfilling transitions (moving the furniture on tracks rather than with visible stagehands would be more effective and, above all, aesthetic) and slightly narrative lighting, the production’s strongest element is no doubt its cast – featuring several new uproarious additions that will surely make you die. And they are supper funny too! Both Sarah Alexander and Jem Matthews excel in their roles as mother and son Jem and Debbie, showing off great presence and ease in their rather charismatic performances. On the other side, Nick Sampson also earns his place under the spotlight in the part of The Neighbour, through an alluringly obnoxious depiction of that lovely archetype (and reality…) we all treasure within ourselves – where, precisely, is another story. Yet, the highest praise is indisputably given to Lee Mack and Frances Barber alike, both of them exuding such infectious magnetism and naturalness, you’d cry nothing but blue murder as each of their moments crack you up.
A lethal injection of silly fun, The Unfriend‘s return to the London scene comes a vivid as all of its fictional victims had hoped for. Crazy, foolish and ridiculously entertaining, this goofy farce puts it foot down with enough determination, making a triumphant reentry that’s pretty much guaranteed to bring the house down (don’t worry, that’s not the killer’s style). If you’re looking for a problem-free, feel-good night of smooth amusement, the answer is very simple: come to the Wyndham’s to see a play about manslaughter.
All pictures credit to Manuel Harlan.
The Unfriend plays at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre until 9 March. Tickets are available on the following link.