Yvonne Arnaud – until 4 May 2019
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
4****
Writers Jack Milner and Mark Stevenson have combined all the essential elements of incongruity, improbability, stereotypes and exaggeration, to produce a classic British farce in all its glory. In the opening scene you are wondering why Seymour (Nick Hancock) doesn’t just call the police, when he discovers a burglar in his home. This is soon forgotten as you are drawn into the ever evolving, ridiculous dynamic between Hancock and Paul Bradley (Marvin Haynes: Burglar). A fantastical sting is set up in Seymour (Hancock) and Gloria Bignall’s (Carolyn Backhouse) front room that could make everyone lots of money, but it all hinges on a web of lies!
Like any good farce, Octopus Soup has dark undertones that convey a message. The context of the play is not lost on a discerning audience, highlighting parallels and overlaps between the two worlds of corporate business and organised crime. Sad to say, a relevance in today’s society that will never age. Alan (Eric Richard) and Virginia Whale (Gillian Bevan) were the stereotypical villains on both sides of the coin. It was interesting to note references to the stress this causes and its impact on mental well-being – also ageless. Some of this is portrayed by the hilarious melt downs Gloria Bignall (Carolyn Backhouse) has, starting from her first entrance!
Caught in the middle of the power struggle are little people trying to make their way in life, with ambition and ethical aspirations. Things that apparently make ordinary people do extraordinary things! We have Marvin the burglar’s (Bradley) laugh out loud malapropisms, alongside Seymour’s (Hancock) absurd efforts to pluck out of thin air alternative acronyms and translations, smoothing over the relationship between two worlds. Something that cleverly highlights the parallels and doomed to go very wrong!
The set can be mistaken for a hotel room initially, particularly with the trouser press scene. The players ability to smooth over the occasional unintended trip and prop faux pas was admirable, adding to the humour.
The addition of Terry the octopus takes this farce to a whole new level. The reason for its inclusion unveils itself in the second act. Terry is the trigger that brings the whole sham tumbling down! Great dynamic between the actors and ace direction from Joe Harmston.