Review: PRESENT LAUGHTER, Richmond Theatre, 1 August 2016

The 1939 play, written specifically by Noel Coward to create a tailormade part to showcase his own talent, is perhaps not one of his strongest pieces of work, needing a strong cast to carry it off - which thankfully this revival does have.

Present Laughter follows Garry Essendine, a leading actor with a huge ego and plenty of charm as he struggles to come to terms with the fact he is now middle-aged - much to the frustration of his long-suffering secretary. Much of the humour and the growing chaos comes when he is interacting with a variety of women that he has managed to charm and who manage to keep him on his toes.

Since its first performance at the Haymarket Theatre in London in 1943, Present Laughter has been revived countless of times, with leading actors such as Ian McKellen and Peter O'Toole having played the role.

In this latest revival, Samuel West oozes charm and charisma around the ladies as Garry, but equally comes across as spoilt and self-indulgent, not capable of understanding why everyone is being 'beastly' to him. Unfortunately, it is not a character that you can particularly like or enjoy watching, as he becomes increasingly self-centred - which is one of the problems with the play.

Yet, there are other characters you can't fail to warm to. Phyllis Logan as Monica Reed is wonderfully practical and down-to-earth in the way in which she handles Garry, delivering many of the best lines in the play perfectly, while Rebecca Johnson as Garry's estranged wife Liz is charming, graceful and sharp-minded.

The problems don't lie with Stephen Unwin's stylish production, but rather the play itself which comes across as dated and pompous, feeling rather out of step in terms of the language and style, which is over the top and flamboyant in places. Yet, Unwin's production manages to bring out the melancholy side beautifully - particularly when Garry realises that when he wants to be alone - he is at his most vulnerable and he doesn't have to put on an 'act' as he does when he is with other people.

Other issues with the play also include the feeling of lack of sincerity in any of the characters' actions, meaning that it can take while before the audience warms to any of the personalities on stage and really feels involved with what;s happening. Everything just feels over the top and despite some terrific lines such as "Everybody worships me - it's nauseating" , the humour tends to fall slightly flat and half-hearted.

However, the performances by all of the cast are spirited and really lift the production, particularly in the second half in which the humour and the writing feels sharper, drawing out laughter with ease - such as in the scene when everyone wants to join Garry in Africa.

It is a lively production of a play which is not easy to like or enjoy thanks to a central character who comes across as self-absorbed and unlikeable in every line that he is given.

Picture Credit: Nobby Clark

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