Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 29th August 2026
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
4.5****
This week Malvern Theatres explores the sultry back streets, hot spots and low lives of the Cuban capital for Graham Greene’s classic comedy Our Man in Havana.
The story concerns James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner salesman who is not very successful at his craft. With low funds and a wallet challenging daughter, he reluctantly takes up the opportunity to make some extra cash when he is recruited by the British Secret Service. They think he has connections. He has no connections. So he starts making them up, as well as bogus reports. As events unfold his fabrications (and simple life) begin to unravel…
Jack Ashton gave a enjoyable and compelling performance as lead character, James. His story arc gave the actor plenty of opportunity to display his full range; from desperate to exasperated, defiant to validated. A fabulous portrayal which gave us a believable man in the midst of a ridiculous situation – quite a feat of acting skills.
Jack played our lead throughout but the other three actors played multiple roles – Leon Ockenden (Captain Segura, Lopez and a host of others), Bob Barrett (Dr Hasselbacher, Hawthorne…) and Jodie Steele (as James’s daughter Milly, various dancers, a stripper, Agent Severn etc etc…) – all amazing. Their ability to make quick changes in the wings and reappear not only wearing a different outfit but with a totally different voice and personality were astonishing. To be honest, that was half of the fun of the show – hoping that they accidentally kept the previous character upon reappearance as the next. Unfortunately, the actors were far too good for that kind of schoolboy error and so we were left to marvel at their acting accomplishments instead.
The set was a clever concoction evoking Havana perfectly. With lots of entry and exit points, things being pushed in from the wings and dropping from the ceiling and alcoves and shutters aplenty it was a sumptuous creation that did the play and Set and Costume Designer Julie Godfrey justice. It also made me want to visit Cuba!
Clive Francis’s adaptation really takes off in the second half with many of the highlights being after the break. The convention dinner and Jodie Steele’s striptease are comedy gold and worth the price of admission alone. And the checkers game adds a new level of suspense which is very welcome – and pivotal to the story. All well worth waiting for, hurtling us to a very satisfying conclusion to the evening.
In many ways this is a comedy of errors and one that could easily fall into the category of “you couldn’t make it up” – although the programme notes explain that, in fact, the novel was inspired by the true story of a Spanish spy who provided fictitious reports to the Nazis about England whilst never leaving his home in Portugal, solely using a tourist guide and his imagination! Life – it’s a funny old game.
Sparkling performances throughout, a fun script, laughs, danger, intrigue, dancing, some worrying drag moments… this play really does have something for everybody. A highly recommended slice of nonsense to thrill the senses and fire the imagination. And it’s useful for practicing your Spanish too! What more incentive could you need?