Review Roundup: THE CABINET MINISTER at Menier Chocolate Factory

Arthur Wing Pinero’s farce THE CABINET MINISTER is given a new life in a brand-new adaptation by Nancy Carroll directed by Paul Foster at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Sir Julian Twombley is in trouble: his wife and son have run up massive debts and his political reputation is in the balance. The House of Commons is far from a safe space for him and the newspapers are sniffing blood. Can he save face and hang on to his sanity?

Joining Nancy Carroll are George Blagden, Joe Edgar, Phoebe Fildes, Rosalind Ford, Dom Hodson, Dillie Keane, Nicholas Rowe, Laurence Ubong Williams, Romaya Weaver, and Matthew Woodyatt. This crack cast tackles this sparkling story of marriage, blackmail and class where all bets are off! See what the critics are saying...

Cindy, BroadwayWorld: This is a production that’s gleefully proud of its genre identity and the limitations that come with it. It’s such an excellent final product that we’re delighted to indulge its theatrical contract: the silliest, most unbelievable twist and all the visual contradictions contained in it are delivered with such exquisite sarcasm and cheerful panache that we don't mind a world where it’s possible to enter an empty room and not notice the two people who are just sitting very still in order not to be seen. It’s ridiculous, but Foster makes it work.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian: If the idea of watching a Victorian farce by a less frequently staged playwright seems like peculiarly old-fashioned entertainment, this production is a startling reminder of how our own world can be deliciously sent up by the past. In the right hands, of course. Nancy Carroll, better known as an actor, brings an adaptation of Arthur Wing Pinero’s 1890 comedy that is as sparkling as they come – springy, silly and full of satirical sting.

Time Out, Time Out: The satire here is, charitably, broad. Strip away the social hypocrisy, Pinero says, and the moneylenders and blackmailers are basically politicians without a parliament. A modern-day coda in this version doesn’t add anything cleverer. But you don’t turn to farce for nuanced or incisive commentary . What stops this production from being truly great, as funny as some of its lines and scenes are, is the lack of that singular and relentless escalation you find in the best of the genre. In spite of Carroll’s changes, there’s too much going on, too many trifling side-plots, in every way. It doesn’t build to that perfect pinnacle of comedic disaster.

Marianka Swain, London Theatre: I confess I didn’t know much about the plays of Arthur Wing Pinero, but after seeing this absolutely knockout production of his 1890 farce The Cabinet Minister, brilliantly adapted by actress and debuting playwright Nancy Carroll, I’m now an ardent fan. This is, hands down, one of the funniest shows in London theatre right now.

Lindsay Johns, The Telegraph: This delightfully pacy, elegant and stylish new adaptation by Nancy Carroll (who also stars as Lady Katherine Twombley) positively brims with vitality, full of salacious double entendres and unmistakable contemporary political allusions. With an enchanting set and period-costume design by Janet Bird, the four-act play, set between the Twombley’s conservatory in London and a Scottish castle where the family have decamped to facilitate a marriage proposal for their daughter from a wealthy nobleman, is directed with a winning combination of levity, riotous exuberance and occasional moral seriousness by Paul Foster.

Daz Gale , All That Dazzles : Nancy Carroll adapts Arthur Wing Pinero’s classic, having starred in his other play The Magistrate in 2012. Through great understanding of his writing, Carroll effortlessly updates his writing to modernise it somewhat while still keeping it in its distinct setting. This allows for the play to feel instantly accessible and even more relevant (who’d have thought cabinet ministers doing dodgy dealings would be so relatable in 2024?). Though I must admit it took me a while to settle in to the story, it was impossible to let me go once it grabbed me. Refreshingly silly, moments do descend into utter farce while others are more subtle. While nothing quite made me roar with laughter, the consistent humour throughout ensured I was always chuckling mildly or, at the very least, grinning away.

Average Rating: 85.0%