24 April 2023
4****
Two middle-aged men meet up via the gay dating app, Grindr, and realise they are old school friends who shared a deep love of the Swedish pop group Abba. They decide to form a tribute band with them playing the women and two females playing the men.
Such is the outline plot of the new comedy ‘The Way Old Friends Do’ (an Abba song title) by Ian Hallard.
Abba has had huge success in the moderately entertaining musical ‘Mamma Mia’; here the humour is broad and the plot equally contrived, but is actually rather more enjoyable than its musical counterpart. The issue for the show is the imbalance between the first and second halves. Before the interval virtually nothing happens; the characters are roughly drawn and the plot is laid out in the first two lines of this review. The second half introduces a new, pivotal character and is rather less frivolous with a more serious angle to the story and more depth given to the characters. It feels uneven and like a work in progress.
That said, it whisks along at a merry pace on a very well designed revolving set. Ian Hallard, not only writes the play, but plays Peter, the lead, a confirmed bachelor looking for love. He has a lightness of touch and imbues Peter with a vulnerable likeability. James Bradshaw has a field day as the camp, waspish Edward, the ‘old friend’; sharp of tongue, he gets to deliver some of the funniest and filthiest lines which he does with great relish. Donna Berlin is the feisty stage manager, Sally, but her voice continually drops below an audible level even from the 6th row. The hugely accomplished Sara Crowe is the elderly Mrs Campbell; curious casting in some respects, but Crowe’s comic timing is superb. Rose Shalloo’s shrill voice is quite wearing as Jodie, but she accomplishes the requirement to endear herself to the audience. As the late addition to the action, Andrew Horton is suitably hunky and seductive as photographer Christian and who proves to be a fly in the ointment.
Peter’s Nan is voiced by the marvellous Miriam Margolyes and there is the poignant sound of Paul O’Grady’s voice as a radio DJ; his recent death remembered in the theatre.
The production qualities are good; the aforementioned set designed by Janet Bird is adorned with well considered props and furniture and it is lit impeccably by Andrew Exeter. It’s a good looking, neat production which flows easily from scene to scene augmented by songs from the Abba canon.
Mark Gatiss directs with an eye on squeezing the laughs out and keeps the action moving along well. However, there is the overwhelming feeling that this is a play which requires a bit of an overhaul. It’s fun and funny but lacks some depth to elevate itself; the characters are a tad two-dimensional and the plot is a bit all over the place.
All that said, it is very funny at times and it’s rather heartening to watch something which isn’t trying to ram a message down your throat. In that sense it is quite old fashioned and is no worse for that.
This is not Ibsen and it’s all the better for not trying to be. Something at the back of my mind is telling me it is something of a guilty pleasure.
CAST & CREATIVES
Rose Shalloo – Jodie
Donna Berlin – Sally
Ian Hallard – Peter
Miriam Margolyes – Nan
James Bradshaw – Edward
Waiter/Christian – Andrew Horton
Mrs Campbell – Sara Crowe
Radio DJ – Paul O’Grady
Writer – Ian Hallard
Director – Mark Gatiss
Set & Costume Design – Janet Bird
Lighting Design – Andrew Exeter
Sound Design – Ben Harrison
Image – Darren Bell
