The Entertainer

Review by: Paul Towers, 29 August 2019

The Entertainer by John Osbourne

A Made At Curve co-production with Anthology Theatre & Simon Friend Entertainment

Curve 27 – 31 August 2019

“50 years old but still relevant.”

It may be more than 50 years old but John Osbourne’s ‘angry middle aged man’ drama about the demise of  variety and the Suez Crisis has been updated to the 80’s and the Falklands War.

Archie Rice, following in his father Billy’s footsteps, is an old school music hall front of cloth comic. Unfortunately for him Music Hall went out of fashion many years before but Archie is unable to change. He struggles on, wheeling out the same tired old patter in third rate venues to disinterested audiences up and down the country. Travelling with him are his father Billy, his wife Phoebe and his son Frank who stage manages him.

The unexpected arrival of his daughter Jean from his first marriage sets the cat amongst the pigeons and Archie starts to put on a performance to avoid confronting the truth about his failing marriage and career. The casual racism and homophobia further alienates his daughter.

Ever more desperate for a last stab at a career Archie puts his father back on the boards with fatal consequences.

Throughout the play we are witness to the disintegration of Archie’s life and career.

A very clever script from Osbourne weaves into Archie’s patter a selection of dud jokes along with the real funnies.

A stellar cast do this play and Curve proud. Heading up the small company is Shane Richie as Archie, here proving that he is much more than the tic-heavy caricature he played on Eastenders. Ably supporting as his wife Phoebe is the hugely underrated Sara Crowe; the last heavyweight is veteran actor Pip Donaghy as Grandad Billy Rice. These three tear up the stage as each is given their moment of glory. Although Richie gets double the opportunity with both his appalling stage act and his highly dysfunctional family life. The final pair in the cast are Diana Vickers as daughter Jean and Christopher Bonwell as son Frank.

Richie has carefully avoided Laurence Olivier’s originating interpretation of the character and has obviously taken inspiration from a variety of old school comics such as Les Dawson and Frankie Howard. His murdering of several songs is testament to the fact that he really can sing. As Les Dawson always said you need to be able to play the piano well to play it badly.

As the abandoned wife Sara Crowe gives a master class in drowning in a gin bottle while Archie does the same in Double Diamond bottles. Pip Donaghy’s Grandad Billy is very much inspired by Alf Garnett with his strong right wing views and salty language.

If you do manage to get a ticket for the rest of the run then expect strong language, outdated social references and high drama

This production continues to tour right up to Christmas

Tour details https://www.theentertainerplay.co.uk/

Curve – www.curveonline.co.uk
http://ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk/