by Ian Diddams
images by Platform 8
Take Abigail’s party, add some Aykbourn, a touch of Coward and a liberal sprinkling of 2010s socio-political background and what do you get? The answer is simply Sally Potter’s “The Party” – a rattling roller-coaster ride of a kitchen sink drama with a darkly comedic edge in places.
Janet – whose home this one set play is set in – has just been promoted to a Shadow Cabinet position, in what is a thinly disguised but not mentioned, Labour opposition party. The story revolves around her relationship with her husband Bill, and the relationships of the other two couples visiting them to celebrate Janet’s news. Janet’s best friend April is in the throes of separating from her German partner Gottfried; the couple are chalk and cheese in not only appearances but also life styles and beliefs where Gottfried is very much a philosopher with a holistic outlook and April a hugely cynical ex-political agitator, while Martha – Bill’s oldest friend from university days – is with her much younger wife Jinny who is pregnant and whose future dreams may not particularly align. To complete the party is Tom, a hugely successful and rich banker who is stressed, introverted and isolated throughout the play while he waits for his wife Marianne to join them.
While not wishing to give away any plot twists or developments, nonetheless then story investigates the various couples’ relationship strains, and the external antagonisms between the group’s characters. We learn of a terrible piece of news, potentially life changing for two people, of nefarious goings on, and of historical liaisons surfacing causing disquiet. Amongst these spinning plates of interactions, we also see philosophical discussions, the best stage punch I have ever seen on a community theatre stage and a kitchen disaster complete with burning dinner smoke. Oh – And a gun. And it must also be said some very funny lines amongst it all.
Potentially the star of the show however is the set. Another Rich Canning super-set, in the limited space of the Rondo stage Rich has fitted a front room, a kitchen, a toilet and a garden patio, with two working doors and a pair of French doors, two working sinks with running water and a toilet. Despite their enforced proximity the four areas are totally distinct in their use and are used superbly to flip the action between various conversations and scenes
Tech is provided by Will Ward, Luke Emmet, Julie Dallimore and Lola McGregor as they trip seamlessly though a tsunami of sound and lighting cues, and direction is from the masterful Mark Hale who has kept the pace high as the drama unfolds before us. Publicity tasks are shared between Jacci and Alexia Jones and Richard Caddick, and Amanda Ward makes it all run smoothly back stage.
And so the cast … it’s a tight run ship and the cast members work slickly with each other. Hayley Jack plays the committed politician Janet and Rich Canning her somewhat distanced academic husband. Terry Butler is the chalk of Gottfried, healer and life coach to the cheese of Alexia Jones’ cynical April. Then there’s Nadine Comba as the older, less excitable professor to Leanna Biggs’ younger wife and superb amateur chef. Leaving Chris Constantine to play Tom, husband of Marianne, an anger suppressed banker with all the obvious City banker traits and habits.
This is an excellently produced performance that is done and dusted in seventy minutes with no interval, but that seventy minutes packs in an awful lot. Blink and you’ll miss something, and the background action is often as important and incessant, as the forefront scene being played out.
I’ve tried very hard to not give any spoilers and I’m pretty sure I’ve succeeded – if you want to learn the pitfalls, the shocks and the final ending you’ll have to get along to see “The Party” but if you haven’t got a ticket get in quickly – as of opening day afternoon there were three left over the entire run!
“The Party” is performed by “Platform 8” at the Rondo Theatre April 22nd-25th at 7.45pm each evening, and the few remaining tickets can be found at https://rondotheatre.co.uk/the-party/
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